The Girl Who Didn't Kneel
by KittyOnAKeyboard
Summary: Havilah Sverrir loved to travel. On a trip to Stuttgart with her German class they go to a museum gala, but get more than they expected. A mysterious patron who reveals himself to be Loki kills both her teacher and several of Havilah's friends, causing her to abandon all rationality and challenge the god.
1. Chapter 1- Germany

**Hi, Guys. I doubt any of you have read my stories, but they usually involve an OC. I'm not exactly proud of this, er... "Tendency" of mine, but I really do enjoy writing it.**

**I've been wanting to write a LokixOC for a while now, but have been putting it off for several reasons.**

**1) It's so cliché! Everywhere I go I see tons of Mary-Sures (and normal OCs) fawning over him.**

**2) I needed a bit more background info on him and his past. I just finished watching ****_Thor _****and doing a bit of research, so I think I'm ready.**

**3) I'm afraid of bad reviews. Honestly, when someone says my writing is bad, or a character is crappy, it goes straight to my core. But I'm trying to be brave and put myself out there!**

**So, here goes...**

* * *

Havilah moved another puzzle piece one space to the side with a click of her mouse. She had been working on an online sliding puzzle for the past half hour, and she was beginning to wonder if it was too high of a level for her.

"Naomi," she called out to her temporary roommate. "Are you almost done with the shower? I also need to get ready for gala!"

"Jesus, Avi! Way to be a whiny brat!" the muffled sound of splashing and laughter came from the bathroom, and Havilah sighed.

"Look, you've been in there for over an hour. What do you need to do that can possibly take that long?"

"I want to look good! It's a party, and Justin is gonna be there!"

"Justin has been with us this entire trip, you idiot."

"Yeah, but jeans and a t-shirt aren't exactly sexy. I don't think I have his attention yet."

"You're so desperate." Havilah sighed before lazily pushing another piece to the left.

_Congratulations! Twenty points! _

"Hell yes!" she jumped up in excitement, knocking her laptop to the floor. "I did it! I fucking did it! Suck that, you stupid game! I did it!"

* * *

Havilah had always wanted to travel the world. She loved everything about foreign countries: the languages, the customs, the people, the sights. She already knew three languages when she signed up for German in her junior year of high school. Seeing as English was her "native language", she had learned Spanish in preschool and had picked up Swedish when she and her parents lived there for several years, German was a good goal for her to strive for. Plus, at the end of her senior year she wold get to _go _to Germany with her class for a month!

She had already been there for two weeks when the night of the gala at Stuggart Museum arrived. Seeing as Havilah had never been good at formal events, Naomi had helped her not only shop for and pick out a dress, but also how to act like "a proper" _ Kunstliebhaberin, _or lover of the arts.

* * *

When Naomi finally finished with her shower, Havilah rushed in a hurried to get ready. After good shower and a whole round of brushing to her thick, tangled hair, she slid into her brand-new dress, marveling at the delicious feeling of the satin on her skin.

"Do I look okay?" she asked her friend, stepping out of the steam-filled bathroom and making sure she didn't slip on the damp marble tiles.

"You look beautiful, Avi! You should wear your hair down more often!" Naomi gushed as she stepped next to Havilah and examined herself in the mirror. "If I'm not careful, you'll steal Justin away from me before I even catch him!"

They both laughed and put on their shoes, before grabbing their bags and running down the hall to catch the elevator. Havilah pressed the "L" button and sighed in relief. They were on their way.

Before reaching the lobby, the elevator stopped at the third floor: the boys' floor. Three of their male classmates entered, each wearing a dark suit and shimmering cufflinks. When Naomi's eyes met the warm gaze of the sandy-haired jock, Justin, she blushed and fluffed her hair slightly.

"Hey, Avi, Naomi." he nodded to each of them before surveying their outfits. "Nice threads."

"Thanks, Justin. Naomi was the mastermind behind both of the outfits." Avi grinned at him and shifted her weight onto her other foot. "It was all her."

"Mmm," the boy nodded and didn't even look over to Naomi. His eyes were still trained on Havilah when they elevator reached the lobby and they all got off.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as this one is up!**


	2. Chapter 2- The Gala

**Oh, wow! It'd only been one day and I already have people who have favorited my story! You guys don't know how happy this makes me!**

**I love you all!**

**But back to our story...**

* * *

All of the students gathered in front of the museum. The bus ride hadn't taken very long and they were all excited. However, the excitement was not for the gala, but what would come after.

"Everyone is hooking up after the party, Avi!" Naomi gushed, looking around eagerly as the ascended the marble steps into the regal-looking building.

"Classy." Havilah snorted as she pushed open the doors and entered alongside her friend. "Sex directly after a black-tie museum party."

"We're going to the bars first. Germany's drinking age is sixteen! Can you believe it?"

"Yes. I read the guidebook, unlike _some _people."

Naomi laughed quietly before leaving Havilah in the dust to go talk to Jason and his friends.

* * *

About half an hour had passed already when Havilah got bored. She had looked around at everything, spoken in German to many of the patrons and had sampled the food. Nothing was left to do.

_I guess I'll go up to the roof, _she thought to herself as she traveled up the staircase and headed out of the upper exit. The night air was cool against her hot skin and the few stars she could see were dim and bland. Even without the night sky she was used to, she had to admit it was a wonderful view.

She crossed over to the edge of the roof and looked past the small stone ledge. The people entering the gala all wore beautiful, elegant clothing in varying shades of black or grey. All except one man. She focused in on him, slightly curious as to why he was wearing clothing different from the other patrons; the most striking thing about his outfit was the scarf: bright green with a gold pattern, it seemed to shimmer in the evening light and move on its own.

_What a beautiful muffler... _she placed her chin on her hands and watched the young man go in. _I wonder where he got it?_

She continued to watch people enter the building for the next several minutes.

Then the screams began.

* * *

_"Aiieeeeeee!" _it started with a single voice, but soon was joined by dozens of others. The sound of things being knocked over, people shrieking, doors being opened abruptly and the pounding of feet echoed throughout the building.

Havilah gasped and rushed downstairs as fast as she could, clutching her bag tightly at her side. When she reached the show room she could barely stop herself from crying out in surprise and fear.

The same man who's scarf she had been admiring minutes earlier had something in the head doctor's eye and an odd expression on his face. The room was almost empty by then, and Havilah stumbled out the front, her eyes wide.

"Naomi!" she yelled, dashing down the front steps and into the crowd of people that were fleeing the homicidal maniac inside. "_Mrs. Hart!"_

The man had begun to leave the building, walking slowly and casually, as if he had all the time in the world. As he strode forward, his clothing seemed to glow and get replaced by shimmering gold armor.

A line of police cars appeared, and Havilah spotted her entire class running towards them, screaming and crying. She dashed forward to join them, but only moments after she took her first step, the man raised a scepter of some sort and blasted away the cars. The black and white government vehicles reeled through the air from the shock of the beam and, as if in slow motion, descended upon her classmates.

"_Naomi!" _Havilah screamed as she reached out an arm for her friend.

But it was too late, with a loud crunching noise and a jumble of screams, her class disappeared under the smoking pile of metal.

"_NO!"_

_"_Kneel before me," the man said, his voice echoing throughout the crowd as tears dripped down Havilah's face.

The crowd pressed forward again, ignoring his command in their panic.

"I said," he repeated as a second figure appeared where the crowd ran, blocking their way. "_Kneel!"_

One after another, more and more of the figures appeared, encircling the crowd in a never-ending loop of cruel faces, shining metal, and glowing spears.

Silence reigned as the crowd trembled before him and got on their knees. Havilah joined them, the cold damp pavement soaking through her thin dress and cutting to her core. She sobbed in silence, closing her eyes tightly as if she could wake up from the horrible nightmare her life had become.

_Please, God, _she prayed as the man began to give a mocking speech about freedom. _Let this all be a bad dream. Let me wake up at home, or in the hotel and let me go back to the way life was before!_

"...in the end, you will always kneel." the man finished as Havilah opened her eyes and saw him smile faintly.

An elderly man who was next to her began to shift slightly. When she realized what he was doing, her mind became blank:

_He's standing up. Defying him._

What did Havilah have to live for now that all her friends were dead? Now that she would never see her parents again?

_I'm going to die anyways, _she realized. _So what's the point? I'm not going to have my last moments be me cowering in front of some oversized child!_

She stood up at the same time as the old man and glared at the oppressor.

"No." she said.

"Not to men like you." the elderly man finished, his sad, grey eyes showing the pain and despair that came from his action.

* * *

Havilah knew she was going to die. And this man knew it too.

* * *

**The next chapter is mostly Loki's POV (Point of View). I can't wait!**


	3. Chapter 3- He Said Kneel!

Loki was slightly shocked by the actions these two mortals had taken.

_No? _he smiled to himself smugly.

"There are no men like me," he stated, his voice amplified so it echoed throughout the street.

"There are always men like you." the old man replied, his cloudy eyes somehow sharp and accusatory.

"Look to your elder, people," Loki smirked and stepped forwards, raising his staff. "Let him be an example."

* * *

It was sudden. Sudden and unexpected.

The girl hadn't spoken ever since she uttered that single word: "no." But her yell was loud and desperate.

"_Stop!" _she hollered and swung her bag forward. Her fingers let go of the leather strap, and it began to fly through the air at top speed, headed straight towards Loki.

He blasted it to pieces, stopping it mid-flight and causing small shreds of paper and leather float to the ground. It was completely silent, except for the shallow breathing of the girl. She was still in the position that she had reverted to after her throw, her arm reaching out, her eyes full of fury.

"'Stop'?" Loki pushed through the crowd towards her, ignoring the people who scrambled to avoid being trampled. "You want me to 'stop'?"

He finally reached her, and she looked up into his eyes defiantly. He was about a head taller than her, but she didn't seem afraid.

"Are you deaf or something?" she hissed, brushing aside the shocked gasps of the crowd. "I'm pretty sure you heard me."

"And if I did? There is nothing you can do to stop me." The fear in her bright blue eyes was evident, but he could see her try to hide it as well as she could.

"Why do you want us to kneel?" she asked, changing the subject. Everyone was frozen, watching the exchange. They were unable to tear their eyes away.

"Because I am Loki of Asgard, and I am above your meager race."

"That's not true," she whispered, staring him straight in the eyes. "You're just a little kid trying to get noticed, isn't that right? If I remember correctly, you have a brother, don't you?"

He grabbed her neck, his eyes flashing with a fury beyond anything the girl had ever seen.

"You act as if you know me? Know my past? You know nothing, do you hear me? _Nothing!"_

She coughed, gasping desperately for air. Loosening his grip slightly, Loki raised his scepter to strike a final blow.

"I've studied..." she took a deep breath, barely managing to spit out her next words. "Norse... Mythology... Your brother has... Always been... Better..."

Fiery hatred burned through Loki, blazing and searing its way through him.

"You pathetic mortal..."

"I'm not the one... Trying to get my... Daddy to... Praise me..." This hit home. Without a single reply, he through her across the way. She soared through the air, hitting a wall with a large thud and slumping to the ground.

"Do you have anything you want to say to your fellows?" Loki snarled, striding over and planting a foot on her stomach. Blood trickled from her mouth and she wheezed.

"Tell them... Havilah... Sverrir... Was the one who... Stood up... And fought... Tell them... To... Run."

She closed her eyes and a tear dripped down her face, landing in a puddle of rainwater that had collected in the hollow between cobblestones.

* * *

It was dark. That was all Havilah knew. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but nothing happened.

_Am I dead? _the thought crossed her mind as she remembered the events of the past hour. She could hear faint mumbling and thumps, but when she tried to tune in she only got a kind of static noise, as if her mind was a radio stuck on the wrong station.

What seemed like an eternity later, the voices started up again, but this time she could make them out:

_"She's tough, this one... internal damage, but I'm no expert... a doctor..."_

_"...don't care who... make sure she lives... questions..."_

_"...working on the portal... Tesseract..."_

_What have I gotten myself into? _It was her first and only thought before she slipped under again.

* * *

**Yaaaaay... We have totally altered part of the plot, but it'll come back later! Now, who can fix our poor protagonist up?**

**No. Seriously. I don't think Agent Barton or Doctor Selvig can do it... Or maybe one of them can? I dunno.**

**Any hints for next chapter? I'd love some feedback and fresh ideas!**


	4. Chapter 4- The News

"We're too late," Steve said as Tony touched down and examined the museum's surroundings. Crushed cups, empty purses and the occasional lone high heel all littered the street.

"The crowd seemed to make it out alive." He surveyed the scene as his helmet lifted. "But that bag over there is busted. Looks like it got blasted by his spear. Let's check it out."

Picking their way through the debris over to the still smoldering remains of the bag, Stark picked up a piece of the bag.

"It's leather. Originally a messenger bag, I think."

"What's inside of it?"

"Mostly paper. A wallet." he leaned down and fished a small pocketbook out of the pile. "There's probably an ID in here... Yeah, here it is."

He opened the small pouch and took out a shiny, laminated driver's license.

"Who did it belong to?" Rogers questioned him, crouching down and going through the rest of the bag. He mostly found paper, the ink on the page running from the water of the street. A few of the pages were charred, some we even reduced to ash, but he could make out the drawings.

"Havilah Sverrir. She's eighteen years old and comes from California. Huh."

"She was an artist." Steve said quietly, holding out a picture of an older woman in her mid-fifties. "A very good one, too."

"Why would her bag be like this? Did she use it to block something?" Tony wondered, still scanning the ID. "Hm. Average height... Brown hair, blue eyes. Great. Completely average when it comes to appearance."

"She probably knows something about what happened here. We can go back to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters and look for her in the database."

"Not my job." Stark replied, dropping the license into Steve's hand. "You can go do it yourself, Gramps."

* * *

When she was eight years old Havilah had fallen out of her tree house and had broken her arm. She used to think that was the most painful moment of her life. But at the moment, she knew there were things worse than breaking a bone.

Losing all her friends, being slammed against a wall by a man with almost superhuman strength, knowing she would never see her parents again... _That_ was the true pain.

_Mom... _She tried to make her way through the darkness of her subconscious, attempted to wake herself up, but it was no use. Her body was like cement: solid and unmovable. _It hurts... I want to go home!_

But going home was out of the question.

* * *

"Warren!" Grace, Havilah's mother sobbed a she sat in front of the television. "_Warren!"_

"What? What's wrong?" Her husband came around the corner and entered the living room. "Are you hurt?"

"The- the news... Listen!" she wailed, pointing a shaking finger at the glowing screen.

_"...at the Stuttgart Museum yesterday evening. The man was described to be in his mid-twenties with dark-black hair and a golden helmet..."_

"Honey, why are we listening to-"

"Shhh!"

"_Victims include Jenny Hart, an American teacher who took her German class on a trip here. The entire class was killed when a police car rolled on top of them, crushing the students..."_

"That's Havilah's class, Warren!" Grace howled, burying her head in her hands. "Our little girl is-"

"Grace! Calm down! Look at the TV!" Warren nudged her and gestured to the screen. A women in her late thirties was being interviewed by the reporter.

_"They said two people defied the man, is this true?" the reporter asked as she shoved a microphone in the woman's face._

_"Yes," she replied. "An elderly gentleman and a young girl."_

_"The police sketch artist has finished his picture. Does it fit your description?"_

A drawing of Havilah appeared onscreen; her mother gasped and began crying again.

_"Now, you say he threw her against that wall with considerable force?" the news-anchor questioned the woman. "What happened after that?"_

_"He seemed to remember something, then picked the girl up."_

_"And after that?"_

_"He disappeared."_

_"In which direction?"_

_"That's the thing... He literally disappeared! He just faded out of existence along with the girl! 'Poof'! He was gone!"_

_With that, the reporter turned back to the screen and began speaking quickly._

_"If anyone has any information on either of these people's whereabouts, call the nearest police station as soon as possible. Do not attempt to approach the man, as he is highly dangerous and armed with an unknown weapon. I repeat: 'do not approach this man'. Thank you. More details at eleven 'o' clock. Back to you, Nathan."_

The channel switched back to a different newscaster and another story.

"But is she alive?" Grace whispered. "Is our little girl _alive_?"

"I'm going to contact the police and tell them who we are. That way, they know who to look for." Warren got up and went to the phone. "Everything will be all right, honey."

* * *

**Whoooa... Parents! THIS OC ACTUALLY HAS NORMAL PARENTS! Shocker!  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. If you have anything you want me to put into the story, just put it in a comment and I'll see if I can work it in.**

**No, seriously... **


	5. Chapter 5- Questioning

**Hey, Guys. Sorry for the delay with this chapter. School started up and I'm still getting used to the work load! Also, I had almost finished this chapter the other day when my computer stopped working. I copied what I had left and restarted everything. I also learned that when you restart your computer it deletes what you had copied...**

**Goddammit.**

**Anyways, this chapter will not only focus on the plot, but also on adding humor. Be warned, crude jokes about self-image may ensue.**

* * *

When Havilah woke up the first thing she noticed was that she couldn't move. At all. Opening her eyes, she tried to look down at her torso, but a piercing pain accompanied the smallest movement.

_Shit. _she thought as she blinked sleepily. _I'm either in Hell... Or I was given surgery without anesthesia._

"I see you have awakened." the velvety voice of her brand new enemy echoed from across the room.

"Not you again..." Havilah grumbled, surprised at her ability to move her mouth.

"I'm deeply apologetic, for if you have what I need we will be spending quite a bit of time together." The dark-haired god entered her line of vision, a mocking smile lighting his pale features.

"Sorry. You busted my bag open. I don't have shit."

"I don't mean monetary goods, you fool." he hissed, kicking Havilah's leg lightly. He chuckled when she let out a sharp gasp.

"Shit! OW! _What did you do to me?" _she cried out, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

"You were on the road to the Underworld and I still needed answers. I took you to a... _Hospital..."_

"Aren't the police looking for you? You'd think they would be after last night's stunt."

"I believe you mean _last week's _stunt."

Havilah felt her eyes widen.

"A week... I've been KO'd for an entire _week?"_

"Yes. The healer who treated you said that considering the amount of 'physical pain' your body would be in that you wouldn't awaked for several days."

"I got surgery, didn't I?"

"Yes. I believe that was what they called it. I am unsure as to whether the bruises are still there, but your back was violet when I saw it."

"You saw me _naked_?" Havilah shrieked, her face paling. "As in... _NUDE?"_

_"_Mm..." Loki shrugged and grinned mischievously. "Not much to look at up there, I must say. Your figure is slightly lacking."

Avi flushed red from her toes to the roots of her hair.

"You... You... You..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure that if you happen to live past this encounter you'll find a man who'll settle for a less than satisfactory set of-"

"No! _No! NO!" _she shook her head from side to side furiously, her cheeks flaming. "Don't even _finish _that thought!"

* * *

"Director Fury!" Steve had finally tracked down S.H.I.E.L.D's chief. "We found several items of interest at the museum."

Fury stopped and turned around, walking towards both Rogers and Stark.

"We found a bag that had been destroyed and looked inside." the Captain held out the phone and wallet. "These helped us identify the owner."

Opening the wallet and pulling out the license, Fury nodded.

"Havilah Sverrir..."

"Yes, Sir."

"Coulson!" Fury looked over to where Phil was sipping his coffee. The agent looked up, ready for orders. "Get once of the planes ready for a trip to L.A."

"Where in Los Angeles, Sir?" he asked as he picked up his phone and began to dial.

"Catalina Island."

* * *

"What do you know about the Tesseract?" Loki asked Havilah, leaning back in his chair and crossing his leg.

"Nothing. What is it?"

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes slightly before lifting his staff and standing up.

"Then you are of no use to me."

"Whoa! Hey! What happened to getting a 'man who will settle for a less satisfactory girl'?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to take that statement back," he laughed slightly at her weak attempt for humor. "Now, because I feel slightly sorry for you I'll let you have a few last words."

"Well, golly gee!" Havilah said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That makes everything _so _much better!"

"Do you have any regrets?" Loki questioned her, raising his scepter. "If so, now is the time."

* * *

Fury had already left on a fast-flying plane to get to Catalina. Steve was going through more of the papers in Havilah's bag, examining them for clues about her family life.

"What's Uncle Sam doing?" Tony asked Bruce as they tried to identify the energy traces coming off of the singed leather.

"I'm not sure." Banner said as he moved the scanning device to get a better look at a certain crease. "You could ask him if you really wanted to know."

"I'm not _that _curious." Tony replied.

Steve ignored them as he picked up a picture of a teenage boy playing the guitar.

_August 4, 2011. Nick playing his brand new Gibson Les Paul. _

He examined the drawing, the shadows underneath the boy's collarbones, the way his shaggy brushed his chin, the concentrated look on his face...

In a completely different set of handwriting a small group of sentences was scrawled in the corner.

_Hey, Avi! I love this picture! I didn't know you were drawing me that day! Isn't this class boring? My mom is making pizza tonight, wanna come over and watch some TV with me?_

"I hope the girl is all right..." He muttered as he turned to another page.

* * *

_Okay... What can I say to save me some time? _Havilah wondered as she racked her brain for ideas.

"I'm waiting..." Loki said.

_I've got it! Okay, okay... Fake tears... NOW._

"I just-" she sniffed, thankful for all the times she had been in school plays. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "I just wish I could have made my parents proud... That I could have shown them that I was good enough for them..."

Loki froze, the words processing. He watched Havilah cry quietly to herself.

He couldn't do it. Not when she was just like him. Not when she wanted the same thing.

He felt himself lower his weapon, but it wasn't him lowering it. His body was moving on its own, sparing the girl's life.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it! Give me some feedback please! I hope Loki isn't leaving his character ****_too _****much...**

**Tell me if he is and I'll try to fix it in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6- Future Housekeeper?

**Hey, everyone! I'm ****_so _****sorry about the delay. Everything is just so crazy!**

**I got a question about Havilah's name. No, it isn't very common. It's a name that was used in the Bible once or twice, and it means...**

**"Circle".**

**Yeah. Really deep and meaningful stuff there, huh?**

**"Honey! I found the perfect name for our kid!"**

**"What!"**

**"Havilah! IT MEANS 'CIRCLE'!"**

**You pronounce it "Ha-vee-la". I chose it mainly because I think it's rather pretty, and I didn't want a name that had been used a lot by others. It seemed a nice choice. Now that I think about it, it is slightly over the top... **

**Oh, well. Too late now!**

* * *

There was nothing more surprising than the sight of your executioner lowering his axe. If you had been at the chopping block in medieval Europe, the mere thought of it would have made any prisoner jump for joy.

But all Havilah could think was: _"Oh, shit. He has something worse planned for me, doesn't he?"_

She hadn't ever been the most optimistic person, but she wasn't a pessimist either. However, in this case, she was only expecting the worst.

"You have a week." Loki said gruffly, turning away from her so he wouldn't have to face the pleading in her eyes.

"Wh-"

"You have a week to heal. Once that happens, I'll decide what to do with you." he stalked out of the room, ignoring her questions.

_Dammit. _he thought to himself, entering his makeshift room and throwing his staff aside. _Why did I do that? Just because she feels the same as I do! I guess I'll just... Postpone the killing._

Pleased with his plan once again, he relaxed in a chair and closed his eyes.

* * *

"What?" Havilah muttered to herself, looking around the empty room. "Am I just... Stuck? Why am I talking to myself, anyways?"

_Because I'm obviously going crazy from stress._

She sighed sadly and tried to wiggle her fingers. A pain similar to the type one gets when they move after their leg falls asleep shot up and down her arm, only stronger.

"Hm..." she tried to move her wrist, and winced slightly at the sore feeling in her bones. "Weird."

She moved her fingers randomly for five whole minutes, until the odd tingling sensation disappeared.

"Um, hello?" she called out, rotating her wrists slowly. "A- a little help here? I'm kind of stuck..."

Nothing. Only the faint echo of her own voice bouncing of the walls.

_You know, when I signed up for this trip I didn't imagine this._

"They lied to me!" she yelled into the air, hoping for a reaction. Trying for some humor to lighten her situation she made a joke. "The cake was a lie!"

She finally decided to work through the pain and just move. Slowly, inch by inch, she scooted off the hard seat of her chair and onto the floor. The cool concrete pressed against her cheek, calming her as she tried to catch her breath. With her ear pressed to the floor, she could hear the distant thrum of machinery and faint echoing footsteps.

_So, he has people working for him... _She thought, her hand groping for something to hold onto. Eventually, her fingers found what seemed to be a radiator of some sort. It wasn't on, luckily, and she used it to drag herself forward.

"They..." she panted and winced, noticing that she had a pattern of bumps of some sort at the nape of her neck. "Make it... Look so easy... In movies... Those fucking liars..."

After sitting up and leaning against the heater, she gently ran her fingers over the back of her neck. It was tender, and she winced, but she could feel scabs and thread.

"Stitches..." she realized, brushing her hand over the spot again, as if assuring herself that it was real. She waited for another couple minutes before attempting to stand. With a grunt and a whimper, she put her weight on the wall and slowly inched her way upwards, using her butt as a form of leverage.

_I should be getting some kind of award for trying this hard._

* * *

Loki had to admit, his nap was rather refreshing. As much as he tried to hide it, all this planning and work was rather tiring. He lay in the chair for a few minutes, looking up at the ceiling and counting the cracks. It calmed him, and he finally felt ready to return to the lab and speak with Doctor Selvig.

He got up and smoothed his hair, checking himself in the mirror before exiting the safety of his quarters. He always liked to look "sharp".

"Oh, Loki!" Doctor Selvig waved at the god and hurried over, a smile lighting his face. "We'll have the portal ready within a week or two. Now that we have the iridium, everything is back on track."

"That's all very well." Loki nodded. "I congratulate you on your progress."

"Thank you. If you don't mind, may I ask what happened to the girl you brought. Did she have any information?"

"Sadly, no." Loki felt his frustration reappear as the thought of Havilah. "But she may be of use to us yet."

A cough came from the large doorway. Both Loki and Selvig turned, just in time to see the pale, tired face of Havilah. She leaned against the door frame heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly from the strain of walking.

"Do you know how long it took me to get out of that fucking chair?" she asked shrilly, clinging to the wall.

"From your appearance, I'm assuming it was difficult?" Loki asked, smiling slightly.

"Oh, not really. Just took me a bit to find my way here." Havilah snapped at him.. "Of course it did. I got surgery! Do you know what I found on my neck? _Stitches_. Stitches!"

"It's none of my concern." Loki shrugged nonchalantly before waving one of the lab workers over. "Get her a room or something. Oh, and please don't give her any of the better ones. She isn't worth it."

The worker nodded and briskly walked over to Havilah, grasping her wrist tightly and guiding her away from the lab.

"Hey! Hey! Ow! That hurts! Slow down!" her voice journeyed farther and farther away as she was taken down the hall. Loki laughed quietly to himself before turning back to Selvig.

* * *

**Once again, I'm really sorry this took so long. (It's been what? A month? A month and a half?) I hope you guys aren't too angry!**


	7. Chapter 7- Helping the Enemy

**Hey, all! Once again, I'm incredibly sorry about the delay! Schoolwork, home-life, blah, blah, blah... **

* * *

"Dear Mental Diary," Havilah began, laying on the thin mattress she had been given. "Today I woke up in the middle of some kind of research facility that is run by the supervillian who killed all my friends. I learned that I was given surgery and that I had been unconscious for about a week. What's weird is that I'm not hungry."

She finished with her small speech and laced her fingers behind her head, staring up at the old cement ceiling. She had no idea what her future would consist of, but at the rate her healing was going she knew she would be beginning to work soon. The room was small and cold, tucked away in the corner of the premises and underneath an abandoned, steel staircase.

"I feel like Harry Potter." she muttered, flipping over to face the wall. "Trapped under the stairs..."

* * *

Two weeks. Two weeks was all it took for Havilah's hands to become raw and her knees and back to ache. Two weeks of work and she had almost forgotten what it was like not to be under the control of someone else.

But, it also took two weeks for them to find her _true _use.

"Up," Loki snapped at her, grabbing her upper arm and beginning to drag her down the hall. "I have a new assignment for you."

"Wh- but I wasn't done with..." she stuttered, looking back briefly to the bucket of soapy water she had been pulled away from.

"No matter. One of the lab attendants pulled your mattress away from the wall and found your carvings."

By "carvings", Havilah knew Loki meant the drawings she had etched into the wall using the piece of glass she had fished out of the garbage. They depicted her old life, her friends and family, memories that she treasured.

_Shit. _She cringed, waiting for a punishment.

"I require your artistry for my project."

"What? I'm afraid I don't understand..." Havilah asked as they entered the lab. Doctor Selvig stood near the entrance, his arms loaded with crude diagrams.

"Miss Havilah," Doctor Selvig began, moving her over to a chair and table loaded with pencils and pens of different thicknesses. "Would you mind re-drawing these blueprints for us?"

"Actually, that's an order." Loki said, waving his hand.

"Okay... But, the thing is..." Avi bit her lip nervously and looked up at the professor. "I failed my engineering class... I transferred into wood-shop instead."

"That's alright. If you have any questions you can ask us." Doctor Selvig smiled reassuringly and passed her the papers. "I'm afraid I have to get back to work now, but feel free to call for me if you need clarification."

"Okay..."

And _that's_ how Havilah got saddled with the task of helping her worst enemy take over the world.

* * *

Loki sat in a chair on the opposite side of the lab as Havilah. He needed to keep an eye on her, he told himself as he watched her examine the blueprints and choose a pencil. He had never actually kept his sight trained on her for such a long period of time, and he began to notice different things about her.

Things such as the few scattered freckles on her nose, the small dime-sized burn mark on her temple, the way her hair fell into her eyes and how she didn't even bother moving it out of the way, she just blew a breath upwards and kept working.

_Wait, what am I doing? _Loki wondered, turning his back on the girl. _This is idiocy! I need to focus... On my work. That's right. Focus._

He began to add notes to his log, but he couldn't help but occasionally glance at Havilah out of the corner of his vision.

She seemed focused and determined, her brows furrowed in concentration, as her hand moved swiftly across the page, making sweeping lines on the sheet of paper. Twenty minutes in, she stopped and looked around in confusion. Glancing between her table and the surrounding work stations she tentatively stood and walked over to Loki, holding one of Doctor Selvig's drawings.

"Um..." she shifted her weight nervously. "I can't seem to find Doctor Selvig, so I was wondering if you could explain this to me?"

"I might be able to," Loki gestured for her to sit next to him. "Show it to me."

* * *

Havilah hadn't been expecting for him to help her. She thought he would have directed her to Selvig or someone else who knew about the "project".

Nervously, she sat on the stool beside him and pointed to a certain part of the crude sketch she had been given.

"I don't know what that connects to. It doesn't seem to have a match..."

"Hm, well everything here has a partner. It might be that the parallel piece is on another page, or that it doesn't _look _like a match." Loki explained, leaning forward and scanning the sheet. "Why don't you grab the other diagrams and we can check them too."

Havilah nodded and hurried off to grab the other plans. Once she returned to Loki's side, papers in hand, they both began scanning for the missing part.

"I feel like I'm looking for Roanoke..." she laughed quietly.

"Excuse me?" Loki looked up, slightly confused.

"Roanoke? The missing colony?"

"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that story." Loki said, looking to Havilah for an explanation.

"Oh, well it's a bit of American history." she smiled. "There was a British colony in what's now North Carolina..."

As she began to tell the story, including hand gestures and jokes, Loki couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be more comfortable with him than before. Something on the edge of his mind was bothering him. He could feel it tug at his consciousness as he listened to Havilah.

"So, there are dozens of theories as to why-"

"Do you hate me?" he blurted out suddenly, looking away from her and glaring at the wall.

* * *

"What kind of-" Havilah broke off and looked to Loki in confusion. "Why would you even care?"

"Just answer me!"

Havilah tried to find an answer, but there wasn't anything she could grasp from the top of her head. It had never been in her nature to hate, and whenever she had tried to hold a grudge it wouldn't last more than a few days. When she tried to glare at people, her eye ended up twitching, as if her body was rebelling against the action.

But, Loki had killed all her friends. He had taken her hostage and forced her to work for him. Those were reason enough to despise him, yet she couldn't bring herself to _actually _abhor him.

_Fucking hell... _She thought, cringing inwardly. What could she say? If she said she detested him, he might kill her! In fact, if she said she didn't, he might assume she was lying and kill her anyways! And she didn't want to lie to him...

"I don't know..." she finally admitted, looking down at her lap. "I just... I don't know."

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. I'll start working on the next one as soon as possible!**


	8. Chapter 8- A Sverry Serious Day

**I'm in a fluffy mood... I know this doesn't _completely _count as fluff, but it's still kind of cute. Eventually...**

* * *

Loki gritted his teeth in frustration.

_"I don't know..." _What kind of answer was that? And why did he even ask? But, it didn't matter anymore. What was done was done.

"Forget this." he muttered. "Forget I asked that."

He jumped slightly when someone touched his shoulder a few moments later. He looked up to see Havilah trying to comfort him.

"Why does it matter?" she asked again, gentler than before. "I'm just someone who you forced... Someone who is working for you..."

"It doesn't matter. I said for you to _forget!" _he snapped again, slapping her hand away angrily. He instantly felt bad when he saw Havilah's expression change.

First, she looked hurt. Then sad, and ultimately, furious.

"Fine!" she retorted, snatching at the diagrams they had been looking at. "I was just trying to help! See, this is why people dislike you!"

"Now, wait just a-"

"Shut up! I'm going to work on these in my room!"

Loki watched Havilah stomp away angrily, her fists clenched around the papers. She kicked open the door and disappeared down the hall.

"I'm sorry, but may I ask what that was?" Doctor Selvig appeared behind him, gazing at the door with curiosity. "I didn't hear much, but-"

"It was nothing." Loki said, turning back to his log. "Nothing at all. Just her acting like a child and throwing a fit. It doesn't matter, anyways."

"I see..."

* * *

Entering her room and slamming the door shut behind her, Havilah threw her things down to the floor and screamed in frustration.

"That bastard!" she yelled, kicking her thin mattress aside and fuming as she paced the small confines of her "room". "I was just trying to help! Well, it figures, doesn't it! He's a goddamn supervillian!"

All she wanted to do was cry. Crawl into her meager excuse for a bed and just let it all out though tears. But, she knew that wasn't an option. Instead, she wiped the back of her hand against her eyes and began her work once again.

She found the missing piece without Loki, and quickly added it to her own sketches.

_I guess I didn't need him anyways, _she gloated briefly before continuing.

Using the compass she had been given, and occasionally erasing entire sheets of paper, she finished transferring the first page. She was exhausted, but she knew that her little tantrum in the lab would most likely mean extra punishments for little mistakes, so she continued without stopping. Hours passed, and she slowly grew increasingly sluggish, until, in the middle of drawing a group of wires that connected two parts of the machine, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep right on top of her materials.

* * *

Morning came, and Loki came in to see if she was up, a job he had never done before. Greeted by the sight of Havilah with dark circles under her eyes and collapsed, pencil still in hand, Loki shook his head slightly.

"Haven't you ever heard of taking a break?" he murmured, leaning down and gently moving Havilah to her bed. He justified these actions by telling himself he couldn't lose his helper, but he knew that wasn't completely it. "Stupid girl..."

Softly closing the door behind him, he shook his head and went down the hall. He had been feeling increasingly odd ever since he had assigned Havilah to the project, and he was still unsure as to _why._

_Could I be sick? _He wondered, entering his own room and removing his outer clothing. _No, no. That's not it._

Lying on his bed and gazing up at the ceiling, Loki began to think.

_It's such an odd feeling... It's like... Anger and frustration, mixed with contentment and happiness. But that combination could never work, could it? _Closing his eyes, he conjured up a picture of Havilah when they met in Stuttgart.

The mixture of fury and fear on her face, the way she held herself, the damp smell of the street... It all came back to him as he mused.

_"You're just a little kid trying to get noticed, isn't that right?" _

* * *

"I'll get the door, darling..." Grace called out into the study where her husband was contacting the rest of their family. She swiped at her eyes briefly and adjusted her blouse before opening the door.

"Hello, ma'am. I hope this isn't a bad time, but I'm Nick Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D and I'm here to talk to you about your daughter." The man's face was grave, and Grace gaped at him, taking in the eyepatch and leather that adorned his imposing form.

"I- I..." she quickly gathered her wits and let him in. "I'm Grace Sverrir..."

She quickly got a pitcher of iced tea and sat down on the couch with Fury.

"I know. I assume you are aware of the situation your daughter is in?"

"I know that she's been... Kidnapped."

"Yes. We're currently working to find her location, but we were wondering if we could ask a few questions."

"Of course. Anything that will help find Avi!"

Director Fury nodded and pulled out his tablet to record the conversation.

"Thank you, Miss Sverrir. This will be extremely helpful."

* * *

**I know it isn't very long (although we've had shorter...) but I'm having a bit of writer's block. Like always, reviews would really help me speed up the writing process!**

**I love you guys!**


	9. Chapter 9- Stitches, Kisses and Papers

**I hope you guys like this chapter! I'm sorry if there is bad grammar and/or spelling, but I'm writing it on an iPad and AutoCorrect is a bitch.**

* * *

"So, you last saw her at LAX?" Director Fury asked Grace, taking a sip of his iced tea. It had too much sugar for his liking, but he wouldn't say anything.

"Yes... She was leaving for Germany with her class... She was so excited! Jumping around and laughing with her friend Nick..." Grace sniffed, blowing her nose and smearing her mascara around her face.

"Nick? Would this be 'Nick'?" Fury asked, pulling out the crumpled sketch of of the boy playing his guitar. "We found it near the remains of her bag."

"Yes! That's Nick!"

"What was their relationship? It's not extremely relevant to the case, but seeing as we're trying to get all information related to the incident and all persons included, relationships would help us."

"They were good friends..." She muttered, twisting the snot covered handkerchief around in her hands. "Both had an interest in languages. They were in German class together. Nick lives- lived... Down the street from us. Near the beachfront wall. By the cliffs."

"I see. And your daughter was an artist?"

"Yes. She has several full sketchbooks if you want to see them..."

"Oh, no thank you, Miss Sverrir. I was just checking."

* * *

_"Mama! Mama!" The small child raced forward, holding something in her cupped hands. "Look what I found!"_

_"What is it?" The woman's face was blurry, but you could still see the love radiating out of it like a beacon of light._

_"A butterfly!"_

_"Oh, sweetie... If you touch a butterfly's wings it won't be able to fly very well..."_

_"Oh, no!" The child cried out in dismay. "I didn't know-"_

_"It's alright, honey. Just let it go. It will be okay."_

_With a serious nod, the little girl opened up her hands and watched a beautiful purple butterfly flutter away on the summer breeze._

_"Mommy?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"When will daddy come home from the hospital?"_

_"Soon, Avi... Soon."_

_"Will he still... Will he still love me?"_

_"It wasn't your fault, you know."_

_" But... If I hadn't gone into the Farris' yard daddy wouldn't have gotten chomped..."_

_"It wasn't your fault, Havilah. Daddy will be okay and when he comes home everything will be back to normal."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise." The woman kissed her daughter's head. "Now, who wants some lemonade?"_

* * *

Havilah's mouth was dry when she woke up. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she groped around for her alarm clock a bit before remembering where she was.

"Goddammit," she muttered, sitting up and scratching her hair briefly. "What kind of dream was that?"

Getting up and straightening her clothing, she exited her room and jogged down the hall.

"Morning, Sunshine." Doctor Selvig chuckled when she entered the lab. "If you hurry you might be able to grab a bagel before they're all gone."

Looking over to where Selvig was pointing, Havilah's stomach rumbled.

"Thanks," she smiled and grabbed a the last poppy seed bagel happily. "I finished the first page last night.

"So I heard." He said as he watched the girl take a large bite of her breakfast. "Loki is rather miffed at you. I'm not sure as to why, though."

"Not my problem." Avi shrugged, halfway through the doorway, bagel still in her hand.

She turned on her heel and found herself face-to-face with Loki.

"Actually, it is now very much my problem," she squeaked, meeting his eyes warily.

Loki just smiled.

"If that's supposed to make me less nervous, it's not helping." She said.

"The hospital just contacted us," Loki explained as he checked his nails nonchalantly. "It was to tell us that your stitches come out tomorrow. We'll have to knock you out, of course, so you don't try and escape, but the good news is that we'll be able to see your pretty little neck without all those pesky strings."

"Uh..."

"Make sure to remind me that I should kiss your scar when you wake up, mm?" He laughed and walked away, leaving Havilah to think:

_What. The. Actual. Fuck. _

* * *

"Thank you, ma'am. This was all very helpful. We'll be in touch." Director Fury shook Grace's hand as he exited the house. "Feel free to contact us if you think of anything else."

"I will. Have a nice day, Mr. Fury." Grace waved goodbye sadly and closed the door behind her.

As soon as he heard the lock click, Fury called Coulson.

"Check all hospital records under the name 'Sverrir'." he ordered entering the government car that awaited him on the beach front. "She would have needed medical attention after her encounter. There has to be some sort of paper trail leading from her to him. We're gonna find that son of a bitch and take him out."

With that, Fury stepped on the gas and hightailed his way to the landing pad on the other side of the island.


	10. Chapter 10- Keeping Lab

**I got a review from someone saying my chapters were a bit too long. Your views are extremely important to me, and I want to make sure you guys are happy!**

**It is for this reason that I'm asking for you tel either PM me or write a review saying whether or not they should be shorter.**

**While you're at it, you can also give me any feedback or ideas you might want me to add!**

* * *

It turned out Loki's spear could do more than blasting shit to pieces, stabbing and mind control.

It could also knock your average eighteen-year old into unconsciousness. Avi had a feeling that whoever had designed that thing was a sadist.

"Up, up, up!" A cheerful singsong voice came from her left. "There's a big day ahead of you! Just because you recently came back from the healer doesn't mean you have any excuse to slack off!"

"Who are you and what have you done with Agent Barton?" Havilah asked, sitting up and staring at the archer who was grinning at her from the ceiling beams. "Is this the invasion of the Pod People? Has the time finally come?"

"Loki has another job for you!" He swung down from the rafters happily.

"Is everyone here on drugs or something?" Avi asked, getting up and following the agent down the hall and into the kitchen. "Because it sure feels like it."

"He knows you probably need a break from the transferring, so today you get to- drumroll, please!" He gestured around the room. "Clean the kitchen!"

"What?" Avi felt her jaw drop as she surveyed the room and its crusted food, stale bread crumbs and caked-on dust. "This place hasn't been cleaned in years! Do you really expect me to be able to do it all in one day?"

"Yep. Now, hop to it, Peter Rabbit!" He slapped her back and walked off, whistling as he went.

* * *

Loki was busy making his way to the kitchen. He had randomly felt the urge to spend time with Havilah that day, and what better way to do it than working together?

He told himself it was to make sure she was healing up all right after her stitches were removed. Entering the kitccarrying saw Havilah moving dishes and bowls from the sink and off the counter into the floor. There was barely any room to move around, but she somehow navigated the maze of grime.

"Do you need any help?" Loki found himself asking, taking a stack of filthy plates from her hands. "I don't have much work today, so I-"

"It's fine," Avi said, tugging the pile away from him. "I can do it on my own."

"It's too much for one person."

"No, I can do it!"

"Just shut up and let me help!" Loki snapped angrily. The shocked look on Havilah's face made him realize how sharp he had been, and he sighed. "I apologize for yelling you."

"I could do it on my own, you know." She said, taking half of the stack and placing it in a corner.

"You're too stubborn." Loki smiled slightly, moving the final pile out of the sink and freeing a spot for a cleaning station. Havilah crossed over to Loki and quickly cleaned the sides of the sink. She plugged the drain and poured soap into the basin before turning on the hot water.

"Please make sure that doesn't overflow." She ignored Loki's comment, rolling up her pants legs and pulling the large metal tub she had found in the closet next to the god.

Loki sighed.

* * *

"You saw it too?" Agent Barton asked Selvig, sipping at his coffee and raising his eyebrows.

"Most definitely." Doctor Selvig nodded, writing notes down in his notebook. "I'm not sure anybody could miss it..."

"His fixation on Havilah is slowing down our work."

"The guy needed a break from his job, anyways."

"But the way he watches her... It could turn into something else... Something bigger."

"We'll jump that hurdle when we come to it." Agent Barton said, shrugging once before leaving the lab.

* * *

"So far, all I've found is a hospital giving an unspecified female surgery, and taking her stitches out a few weeks later." Fury said, dropping a binder full of newspaper clippings and medical reports onto the conference table. "The trail ends there."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Stark asked, his feet on the table as he popped a gummy near into his mouth.

"I want you to scan all records if rom the past month in this hospital, even the hidden ones. You also need to-" a vein throbbed in his temple as he grabbed the bag of sweets out of Tony's grasp. "Tell me where the hell you are getting this food from!"

* * *

**If you guys are still reading this and haven't read the note at the beginning I kindly ask you to do so because it may involve the fate of future chapters...**


	11. Chapter 11- Full Capacity

**Warning: If you don't like math _or _me asking annoying questions I recommend you skip the bolded print and go straight to the chapter. I apologize for any inconvenience.**

**Okay, I asked you guys about chapter length and 100% of the responses I got told me that my chapters were too _short. _My average word count is about 1,000, but I did some math and figured that the average word count per chapter (AWCPC) for your everyday Avengers fanfic is about 1,500 AWCPC. **

**Now, I try to make sure there's at least a _bit _of action in each chapter, and I tend to skip descriptions (a weakness of mine, I must admit...) which makes my word count considerably shorter than it would be if I went full-on Word Splash Mountain on you guys. But what would _you _like my AWCPC to be?**

**Please either PM or write a review telling your answer.**

* * *

"If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?" Havilah asked, scrubbing a large pot with vigor. "And don't use any of that 'I'd wish for everything' crap. No cheating."

"That's a difficult question." Loki responded, briefly putting his own sponge down and looking into the distance. "If I asked for something impossible, would I get it? Are there limits?"

"The only limit is cheating and getting more than one thing from a single wish."

"Then, I believe I would wish to be worthy."

"Worthy?" Avi looked up in confusion, scanning Loki's face for some kind of sign as to what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

"You asked me what I'd wish for, not _why," _Loki retorted sharply before looking away. "And I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."

"Okay, sorry..."

They worked in silence for a few more minutes, before Loki turned back around.

"What about you?" he questioned her, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the counter. "What would you wish for?"

"I guess I'd ask to have some kind of superpower... You know, the usual."

"I think your art counts as a power. Drawings can move people, and that's a bit like magic."

"No," she shook her head and looked at the floor, her hair covering her face. "It's different."

"If you painted something that moved someone to tears, I think that could be thought of as power."

"What _you _have, that is what magic is." Avi struggled to find the words to describe what she had been thinking. "The... Ability to bend and change the world around you, to break rules, _that's _what magic is."

"But that kind of ability comes at a price, Havilah. If you can face the consequences, you could have your own 'magic'."

"Ha, if I faced 'consequences' I'd be able to lift cars into the air with a single wave of my hands? Yeah, right." she snorted, going back to her work. "If that was true, everybody would have powers."

"I don't believe you understand what I'm saying." Loki sighed. "Every being, mortal or not, has the ability for magic. It's inside of them, but it's... Locked up. Once you find the 'key' you can use your inner power."

"Then why don't more people know this? It seems like something like this would get around pretty fast."

"Mortals are selfish and petty." Loki shrugged. "Well, the ones _I've_ met, anyways."

"Ouch." Avi winced theatrically. "My feelings have been wounded, my dear sir."

"_You're_ different, though."

"What?"

"That's what confuses me about you," Loki admitted, his green eyes looking into Avi's blue ones. "You could have died that day, and you knew it. Yet you stood and faced me anyways, giving the others a chance to run. That was the opposite of selfishness."

"You'd be surprised by how selfish I am. I once beat up a kid in first grade to get his cupcake."

Loki laughed and held out his hand to her.

"Get up," he said. "I need to show you something."

* * *

Agent Barton glanced through the kitchen window briefly as he travelled across the building to the archery station. What he saw through the smudged glass made him stop and almost trip in surprise. Loki and Havilah stood in the middle of the room, speaking to each other, nothing new in that.

But _how _they were standing was odd. Havilah was in Loki's arms, her back pressed against his stomach and the god's pale slender hands were cupped in front of her.

"Well, shit." Barton muttered, peeking through the crack in the door and listening in on the conversation.

"Just put your hands in mine," Loki was saying calmly, the way one speaks to a frightened animal to soothe it. "I promise I won't hurt you."

"I- I'm not sure..." Havilah placed her upward facing palms in his, her brows drawn together in confusion. "What are you going to do?"

"Just stay still, and not matter _what, _do not move away from me." Loki told her, squeezing Avi's hands into a fist briefly before letting go and watching a small blue flame spring up in her grasp.

"_Ah!" _Avi cried out, her eyes widening as she stared at the miniature blaze that she held. "How did you-"

"I'm just helping," Loki explained. "This is _your _magic, I'm just showing you how to use it..."

"It's amazing..." Avi breathed. "It's not even warm!"

"It's rather cold, isn't it?"

"Yeah! Like... Like touching water... But _dry. _Wait, that doesn't make any sense..."

"No, it doesn't. But what about this does?"

"It's like dry ice fumes!"

"Mm-hm..."

Agent Barton backed away, a small grin playing on his features.

_Oh, Selvig'll blow something when he hears this... _He laughed inwardly, heading down the hall again, whistling as he went. _This sure is fun!_

* * *

Loki could feel the warmth of Havilah's form against his, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt happy. He watched Avi's face light up as he made the little blue ball of fire dance around their fingers, it made him feel whole for once. He wasn't worrying about who he was, or _what _he was, all he knew was that as long as Avi was with him that he was content. He saw the dimples at the corner of her mouth, and he suddenly had the urge to lean forward and kiss her, but like any strong-minded individual, he restrained himself.

_This is the feeling I had the other day, isn't it? _He asked himself, smiling when Havilah laughed happily. _Just stronger... I don't know what it is, but _she _is causing it. And... I don't actually mind that._

* * *

Tony lazily swiped at the screen, occasionally zooming in on a document or file to see if it had the name "Sverrir" on it.

"How's it going?" Bruce asked as he turned the page of his mystery novel. "Anything?"

"Nope."

"You know, you might be searching above where it is." he closed his book with a snap and placed it on the table. "If you go deeper into the classified archives you might have a bit more material."

"I guess..."

"What's wrong?"

Stark sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, squinting from the strain.

"I'm just running on, like, two hours of sleep, and it feels like we're going in circles." he explained, trying to ward off the oncoming headache. "Just call me Fido."

"Was that a reference to a dog chasing its tail?" Bruce asked, standing up and crossing over to the billionaire. "Because, if that's so, you must be _really _tired."

"Ugh." With a groan, Tony placed his forehead on the cool surface of the table. "This is bullshit."

"Why don't you take a break? I can go through some of the files for a bit, if you want." Bruce offered kindly, awkwardly patting his coworker's back.

"Thanks..." Tony muttered, dragging himself out of the chair and down the hall. "I'll be back in a bit..."

Banner nodded and took Tony's place. The next twenty minutes went by without much action, but he eventually found something of interest.

_Patient Log_ _(Private Files)_

_9:24- Milton Hunter, ward fourteen, died._

_9:27- hospital in lockdown for undisclosed reason._

_9:32- Frank Young called in for unplanned surgery on anonymous patient._

_10:02- Frank Young explained lockdown and surgery. Patient= Havilah Sverrir, 18, American. Anything besides that unknown. Doctor Young had to do emergency surgery on Sverrir because of threats from a "superhuman" male, mid-twenties w/ dark hair and green eyes. THIS INFORMATION MUST REMAIN IN THE UNDERGROUND ARCHIVES UNDER THREAT OF DEATH_

"I think we found our guy..." Banner called out into the hallway. "And if it's all right with you, I think I'm gonna head off to bed. Okay? Good."

He passed Fury in the hall on his way to his room and recapped what he had found before excusing himself for the evening.

"Thank you, Doctor Banner." Fury said with a nod as he picked up the files. "Have a good night."

* * *

"That's enough magic for now," Loki chuckled, extinguishing the flame quickly and efficiently. "I'll show you some more tomorrow..."

Havilah agreed, her eyes bright with anticipation until she realized how close she was to Loki.

"Oh, um... Sorry." she stepped away from him, blushing furiously. "I'll- I'll just go back to work... It's getting late..."

Loki was about to say something along the lines of "no, it's fine", but he didn't get the chance; Avi quickly attacked one of the pots and began her work again, cheeks bright red.

"I- I can finish up here..." she stuttered shyly. "You probably have things to do..."

"It's-"

"Besides, Doctor Selvig probably needs to talk to you."

"You're right." Loki said, his heart pinching slightly now that he was alone again. For a second there, he had felt like someone understood, but, of course, nobody could understand. "Good night, Havilah."

"Good night, Loki." Havilah murmured, her eyes downcast. The door swung shut behind the god, and she let out a sigh of relief. Now that he was gone, she could focus on her work and finally get things done.

_All he does is get in the way. _She began to hum to herself, finishing the last of the dishes and pots before drying them and putting them away.

After that she focused on cleaning the floor, scrubbing the windows, and making sure everything was organized and that none of the ingredients were spoiled. By the time she had finished it was almost midnight, and she slowly made her way to her room, yawning as she went. Collapsing onto her mattress in exhaustion, she didn't even bother removing her jeans, but only pulled her blanket up to her chin and curled up into a small ball.

_Mom, _she thought, her eyes shut tight. _I miss you. And, I'm sorry I never cleaned up after myself. Housework is a major pain in the ass._

Like she had been doing every night since she had awoken in the lab, Havilah told her "mother" her day and how she felt.

_I hope I can go home soon. There has to be a way out of here, right? Tell dad I say "hi", please. Loki told me that everyone has the ability to do magic, I __think dad would be interested in that. Oh, and don't forget to plug the hole in my wall before the rainy season. It was beginning to leak a bit before I left..._

_I love you. Good night, mom._


	12. Chapter 12- Wingman

"We need Thor." Fury stated, pacing between the monitors impatiently. "He knows how his brother thinks. He'll be able to help us."

"Without the Tesseract, though, we can't bring him here." Bruce pointed out, looking over at Tony. "Is there another way to contact him?"

"Yes, but you're not gonna like it."

* * *

Havilah began working on the second sheet as soon as she awoke, not even bothering with breakfast. Her hands itched for the familiar feel of a pencil in her grip, and she immediately stared sketching.

Agent Barton came in around nine.

"Hey. Why weren't you at breakfast?"

"Wasn't hungry." Avi replied, tugging on her earlobe and smudging ink across her cheek.

"It isn't healthy to skip meals, you know."

"Whatever." She muttered, tucking her bangs behind her ear. "Doesn't matter."

"People are worried."

"Bullshit."

"Fine. _Loki _is worried."

"Why does he care?"

"Why do you think? Nice drawing, by the way." He nudged the paper gently with his toe.

"Because I'm his little slave," Avi suddenly growled, wiping the events of the previous day from her mind and breaking her pencil's lead in the process. "Can't have him losing a worker, now, can we?"

"You are possibly one of the densest people I have ever met when it comes to socializing."

"I don't have time for making friends, Agent Barton."

"What about _boyfriends?"_

_They don't call it a "wingman" for nothing! _He grinned before shaking his head. _That was a shitty pun, Clint._

* * *

"What the hell is an 'affinity gauntlet'?" Tony snorted. "Some kind of friendship bracelet?"

"_Infinity_, Stark." Fury growled, living up to his name. "The Infinity Gauntlet can control not only space and time, but also mind, reality, soul and power. It gives its wearer god-like powers."

"Well, who has it? Loki?"

"No."

"Some other asshole who wants to mess everything up?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Odin the Allfather. He's desperate. We know this because he, well, he sent us a message telling us he was sending Thor to Earth. The p-"

"In other words, our work is done for us? Cool, half-day!" Tony cheered happily.

"I was going to say, the problem is where we have to intercept him."

"Where?"

"Where Loki is."

"So, it's impossible?" Bruce sighed and put his head in his hands. "This got us nowhere, Director Fury."

"Yeah! I mean, if we have to find Loki to summon his brother for finding Loki, then how do we find Loki?"

"Just shut up and let me finish. I didn't say it had to be _on top_ of Loki. This also helps find his general vincity. He's somewhere in Germany, we know that much. If we continuously try to summon Thor while walking around, we might be able to-"

"I'll be old by the time we find him if we do that!"

"We can split up, genius." Natasha muttered. "It's a slim chance, but it just might work."

* * *

"Stop it with the cryptic answers. If you want to tell me something, just spit it out right now!" Havilah snapped, picking up a different pencil. "I'm not in the greatest mood at the moment, but I'm guessing you already realized that."

"Yeah. But it isn't any fun if you cheat." Clint laughed and walked out of the door, humming as he went. "I'm gonna have so much fun with this!"

Havilah stared a this receding from in confusion. Running her fingers lightly over the raised scar on her neck, she sighed sadly.

"Life here is so confusing..." She muttered before turning back to her work.

* * *

**This is a really short chapter and I'm sorry, but I still need to know what you want my average word count to be...**


	13. Chapter 13- Catharsis

**I'm sorry this took so long, but I was having a major case of writer's block. Chapters will take longer now because I'm trying to up my word count like you wanted. Almost to 2,000 per chapter!**

**As always, reviews would be extremely helpful. They might also help me get more ideas and put the chapters up faster...**

* * *

"No!" Avi whispered, staring at her hand. "No, no, no, no!"

She could feel her tears brimming in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks as she shook her arm up and down, wincing as the air came in contact with the large cut.

Her hand was her only way of staying alive, and she had just cut its palm open with an X-Acto knife. Normally, she would have found it slightly ironic how she had just signed her metaphorical death sentence by injuring her writing hand, but when your life is actually on the line, it just isn't as funny.

Blood dripped onto the concrete floor of her "room", and she quickly tried to wipe away the evidence of her wound.

"Please, please, please don't be deep..." She prayed as she raced down the hall to the bathroom. Running the tap over the gash, she watched the crimson-stained water swirl down the drain in a small whirlpool.

It was over. All that she had done to stay alive had gone to waste. She had worked so hard, and for what? She wasn't proud of herself, her achievements. No, not at all. And now that she was going to die, she would only be remembered as the selfish and petty girl who brought about the end of the world to save her sorry ass.

She probably wouldn't even get a grave. No cremation, either. No epitaph or obituary, she'd just be another one of those girls who had gone missing, most likely snatched away by some creepy old man wearing a sweat-stained muscle shirt and driving around in his old beat up van.

What a way to go, huh? No blaze of glory, not even an inkling of a memory left for future generations to even learn about. She wouldn't even be one of those teen disappearances that taught kids not to talk to strangers or step into those goddamn cars! Nope.

Just a death. A simple death, like the countless others Loki had killed to get his way.

All this and more ran through her head as she rinsed her hand off. What could she do to hide it while she waited for it to heal? Drawing with her left hand was definitely out of the question, and she couldn't actually tell him the truth.

"Hello, Avi." Joan Knightley, one of the resident scientists, walked into the restroom and smiled at her. "How has your morning been?"

"Great!" She lied, grabbing a paper towel and pressing it to her palm. "You?"

"Wonderful. Loki wants to see you, sweetie."

"Fuck."

"Watch your mouth!"

"Sorry, Miss Knightley! Instinct." She smiled sheepishly as she bounded out of the loo. "Where's the first-aid kit? I, uh, have a splinter and need the tweezers."

"Ask Doctor Selvig."

"Got it!" She rushed off, anxiety causing a cold sweat to break out on the back of her neck. "Thanks!"

* * *

"Excuse me, Doctor Selvig, but where's the med kit?" She tapped on the older man's shoulder politely and waited for him to turn. He wore a pair of welding goggles around his neck to protect his eyes from the bright light the Tesseract gave off when it was hooked up to the portal.

"Back corner of the lab, near the lab coats." He nodded his head towards the rack of bright white jackets. "Oh, and Loki's looking for you."

"So I heard," Avi mumbled, heading over to the red plastic box which held the antiseptic, bandages and other such medical items. Her hand stung badly, and she looked around furtively before opening up the small chest.

"What do you you need bandages for, Havilah?" Loki's silky-smooth voice came from directly behind her, and she immediately slammed the lid down and spun around, cringing at the raw feeling of her cut. "Are you injured?"

"N- no! I just have... A splinter and I need tweezers!"

"We both know that isn't true, Havilah. You never did have the ability to lie."

"It's just a small cut, okay?"

"Let me see." he reached out his hand for her, and Avi jerked backwards.

"No! I'm fine!"

"That is quite an extraordinary amount of blood. And on your right hand too?"

"I'll still be able to draw!" she panicked, feeling tears spring to her eyes once again. "Please! Give me a chance!"

"A chance for what?" he looked into her eyes, and when he saw her fear, he shook his head. "You really believe that I would rid myself of you because of a simple laceration? Do you really think me to be that cruel?"

"It's just-"

"Follow me," he said, pulling her out of the lab and down the hall to his room, holding the first aid kit in his other hand. They entered his room, and he sat her down on his bed. "I'll bandage your wound."

Kneeling before her, he examined the cut.

"It's deep." he noted, pulling out an alcohol wipe and dabbing the gash lightly with it. "How did you injure yourself?"

"I was using- Ow!" she cried out at the sudden pain of the antiseptic. "An X-Acto knife to clean the edges of one of my diagrams..."

"Put your palm flat. I am about to bandage your hand."

"But, I can't work if-"

"You won't be." he said sternly. "This is deep, and I don't want you to reopen it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as the god methodically unfurled a long strip of gauze, winding it around the artist's hand gently.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Avi asked suddenly.

"I don't want you to hate me."

Avi began to laugh mirthlessly, like a crazy woman who just killed somebody.

"Fat chance!" She tossed her head back briefly before glaring at him. "You ruined my life, so don't expect me tone happy with you."

The god was silent, staring up at her.

"In one night, you destroyed every last dream I had! No Julliard, no boyfriend, no becoming an artist. All of it gone! Because of you!"

"I didn't mean for-"

"No. Do you know what I think about at night? 'Will I die tomorrow?' or 'Is this my last night on earth?' Nobody should have to wonder about that kind of thing! Nobody!" She had yanked her hand away from him and begun to pace the room, the words that she had been bottling up spilling out in a fountain. Loki stood up and watched her anxiously.

"Havilah..."

"I know I'm going to die! Might as well get it out of the way, huh? Stop the suspense? It sounds good to me!"

"Stop. You-"

"What?" She whirled on him, suddenly punching his chest with all her might. "What, what, what, what, _what?"_

She screamed in pure rage, beating him with her fists. The god stood, unmoving, taking each thump without even blinking. Tears poured down Avi's cheeks as she vented physically.

"I hate you!" She sobbed, sinking to the ground. "You're a _monster_."

A pair of cool arms enveloped her, and she could feel Loki's breath brush her ear.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never meant for this to happen... I never wanted to hurt you."

"Yeah, right." She growled, reaching up to push him away, but failing. "You wanted this!"

"No," he shook head and pulled her closer. "I wanted a better world for your people. In the beginning I thought force was the way in which I could help, but now..."

His breath hitched slightly as he began to rub soothing circles on Havilah's back.

"But now I understand I was going about it all wrong..."

"What ware you going to do now? You can't bring my friends back to life!"

"I know, I know... I'm sorry. Just... Trust me for now. Please..."

Avi couldn't help it. She felt her body relax as she fell deeper into his arms, burying her face in his chest.

"I want to go home..." She whimpered.

"So do I."

They sat in each other's arms for a while longer, Loki lightly tracing shapes on Avi's spine to calm her, and Havilah just letting everything go.

* * *

It was too late, and Loki knew it. He was too far gone, and he needed her. When she avoided him, it hurt, and he felt as if he was stranded on battered raft at sea during a storm. With her finally in his arms, he felt complete. That missing piece that had fallen into place when they had touched in the kitchen was back, and he didn't plan on letting it go again.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent. The dry smell of paper, ink and wood, like a study, of cinnamon and vanilla, of freshly bound books, the scents he had come to associate with happiness... It wasn't power he craved, he realized, but love.

_Is this why Thor was so attached to Midgard? _He wondered. _Because of this feeling that the mortal brought him?_

Loki knew, whatever he had to do to keep Havilah by his side, he would do it.


	14. Chapter 14- A New Battle Begins

Thor cut an impressive figure, Steve had to admit. The captain was watching him warily out of the corner of his eye as they left the warehouse district, where they had found the "god".

Banner was currently filling the man in, while Steve stared out of the window of the helicarrier. It had been a long night of looking for Thor.

"My brother had kidnapped a girl?" Thor asked in his rumbling voice, his eyebrows raising slightly.

"A young woman. She's eighteen years old." Fury clarified.

"I see. Do you know as to why?"

"Nope."

"This is quite unusual for Loki, normally he would have discarded a person of no use to him." Thor said, adjusting one of his cuffs casually. "And if what you say is true, and the lady is alive, then he must need her for something."

"Her name is Havilah Sverrir," Coulson passed the god a picture of Havilah at the beach. She was laughing and her hair has being tossed in the wind as she clutched a sunhat to her head. "She's an American student."

"Sverrir?" Thor scratched his chin, gazing at the photograph with interest. "That's a Norse name, were you aware of it?"

"No."

"It means 'wild' or 'spinning'. It can also mean 'untamable'." he smiled. "An unusual surname, to be sure."

"It doesn't matter right now. What we need is your help finding Loki. You know how his mind works-"

"Nobody understands Loki. Myself, least of all. I may be able to track his movements, but do not expect me to know his motives."

"Well, thank you, Thor. This is extremely helpful and we appreciate you coming here to-"

"I did not come here because of you, but for my brother. Somewhere, deep inside of him, I know the child I grew alongside is there." Thor corrected him sadly. "And I hope it hasn't been completely destroyed..."

* * *

Thunder roared overhead, and the crackling lightning filled the night sky. Havilah shivered, pulling her blanket tighter around herself to shut in the heat. Growing up in Los Angeles, she wasn't used to such chilly weather and it was quite obvious that she was uncomfortable.

Loki entered the room and sat next to her, sighing in frustration.

"The radiator is broken." he explained, glancing up at the skylight and shivering when a bolt of electricity surged across the sky. "Doctor Selvig is attempting to fix it, but he says we won't have heat, let alone power, for a day or two."

"No power?" Avi groaned in despair, breathing hot air onto her hands in an attempt to warm them. "That sucks. Why aren't you cold, anyways?"

"I don't get cold easily." Loki stated simply. "Or at all, really."

"Must be nice." her breath floated in a cloud before her, a foggy plume puffing its way across the room. "God, it's freezing in here. You can see your breath."

"I need to talk to you about the... Other day."

Havilah paused, burrowing deeper into the quilt.

"Sorry. Not here." she said in a muffled tone, covering her head. "Nobody is home. Please try another time."

"Havilah..."

"Go away."

"Talk to me."

"No."

"I order you to talk to me!" he snapped, yanking the covering off of her in frustration. "Now!"

"What do you want?" she yelled back at him. "I thought we had agreed that what happened the other day would never be spoken about again!"

"I want to know if what you said about me being a monster is what you truly think."

"Yes. Does that make you happy? I hate you! What happened in... In your room... It wasn't me, okay? It was stupid and irrational and-"

"Whoa." At the sound of Clint's voice, both Loki and Havilah looked up. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Er... Havilah? I need to talk to you?"

"Fine." Tossing the coverlet to the ground, Avi stood up and walked away from Loki. "Let's go somewhere else, though."

"Sure."

They headed down the hallway in silence, Avi scowling and Clint awkwardly glancing over to her occasionally.

"Okay, what's up?" Avi asked, turning around and crossing her arms impatiently.

"I just want you to know that what you said to Loki just now is completely normal. Plenty of people have been your position!" he smiled at her and draped his arm over her shoulder in a conspiratory fashion. "So... Fill a guy in! How was it?"

"How was what?"

"You know! Was it your first time?"

Realization flickered across Havilah's features and she felt her entire face turn white as the blood drained from it.

"Ew!" she shook her head wildly, her hair flying around her face. "No way! That is totally not what happened! I did _not _have sex with _anyone! _Okay? Let's get this straight right now: I wouldn't bang him if my life depended on it!"

"Don't be shy, Avi!" Clint patted her on the back. "Everyone has needs!"

"No. Nope. Not at all." Her cheeks flushing with mortification, she speed-walked down the hall. "Conversation over."

* * *

Thor placed the file back on the table and looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. All that he had gathered from going through the information about Havilah was that:

A) She was a happy person who enjoyed exploring the world.

B) She had a history of being overly-stubborn to the point of danger.

and C) She was an artist.

Nothing seemed to pop out at him but the "artist" bit. But what did Loki need a sketch artist for? He wasn't so self-centered as to keep someone just for portraits, which meant she was somehow important to his plan.

Plan for what, though? World domination? Maybe that was his goal. But how would an artist help him?

"Could he..." Thor sat up suddenly, an idea beginning to form in his mind. "Where is the Director of Fury?"

"In his office. Did you think of something?" Bruce looked up from his book, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Loki will hide, but there are other ways to get to him. One in particular, if I am correct."

"What?"

"Sverrir."

* * *

As she lay in bed that night, shivering, Havilah listened to the sounds of the lab being shut down for the night. The soft, blue glow of the Tesseract dimmed as somebody shut off the connector, the shuffling and creaking noises of feet moving their way to their beds, the whirring of the machines as they slowed to a stop, it had all become familiar to her.

_I've become used to this..._ she realized, staring up at the ceiling. _It's a normal part of my life now..._

She curled up into a small ball to preserve her body heat, and fell into a deep sleep until she awoke to someone roughly shaking her.

"Get up!" Loki hissed, not even waiting for her to stand up. "We're under attack!"

"W- what?" Avi's head felt heavy, and she was having trouble thinking. "What..."

"No time!" the god snapped, picking her up and cradling her close to his chest as he raced down the hall. "The bunsen burners were left on by accident, so there is also a leak of gas. Use my shirt as a mask!"

Havilah was afraid. Even more so than at the museum. She buried her head into Loki's shoulder, shaking with terror. As the heady, intoxicating smell of gasoline filled the halls, she could feel her mind growing fuzzier and fuzzier from panic and the chemicals she was breathing in.

"Don't even move..." Loki whispered, darting into a small cabinet near the back doors. "There are soldiers surrounding the building, holding weapons."

"My throat..." she coughed weakly, desperately trying to inhale the small bit of fresh air that she door offered.

"Shh..."

It felt like hours as they sat and watched shadows move around them. The raw, course feeling in her lungs lingered, and it took all her strength to hold off her wheezing.

"They found us..." Loki murmured into her ear, his eyes flashing with fury. "S.H.I.E.L.D. finally tracked us down. I knew it would happen eventually, but not _this _soon."

_"Check everywhere!" _A deep, authoritative voice barked out orders. _"Find them! Now!"_

_"Yes, sir, Director Fury, sir!" _the mingled voices of soldiers and the pounding of heavy boots accompanied a rush of bodies.

_"Taylor, you check the main circuit! Adams, you're in charge of surveying rooms. Hardcastle, you've got storage spaces! Go, go, go!"_

"Damn it all..." Loki growled, clutching Havilah tighter. "I'm unable to hold transparency at the moment..."

"I thought you could teleport!"

"Not now! I'm not at my strongest and I don't have any physical weapons at the moment!"

"What do we do?"

"Surrender."

"What?" she gaped at him. "But we'll be taken prisoner!"

"You already have been..." Loki said. "If you stay in here and I give myself up to the soldiers, you'll be safe."

"You're crazy."

"That may very well be, but if you're safe..."

"Why am I so important? What about the Tesseract? We don't know if these guys are good _or _bad. They could use its power for something even worse than-" she stopped mid-sentence.

"Worse than _I _intended?"

"Yeah."

"I'll stop them, if it comes to that." Slowly, he placed Avi behind him and touched her hand before exiting the cabinet and closing it. The gesture was short and simple, but it held a deeper meaning that Havilah struggled to understand.

_"I, Loki of Asgard, surrender myself to S.H.I.E.L.D. and its men."_


	15. Chapter 15- Downtown

"S.H.I.E.L.D. accepts your surrender."

Havilah shivered at the sentence. Shouldn't she be happy that Loki was being captured? Wouldn't that make her free? But who was he giving himself up to?

The thoughts that she had been struggling with took up the time that was taken to remove Loki and all he soldiers from the premises. She felt like she was stuck in a horror movie as that one chick that everything is targeting. When night fell, she crawled out of the cabinet and walked down the hall, her body moviaha without her commands.

She was stuck in a building that was situated within an unknown part of Germany, with no money, no idea what to do and no hope of getting home. The sick stench of gas permeated the building, and she held her sleeve up to her nose in an attempt to ease the threat of hurling the meager contents of her stomach onto the smudged linoleum. She had never been in a place so still, so quiet, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as she crept through the halls towards the outside door.

Guards had constantly been stationed there to both keep her from escaping and to keep watch to ensure there wasn't a breach in security. Great job they had done, letting in S.H.I.E.L.D. and causing their boss to surrender himself to the government. Avi forced these grumblings out of her mind as she struggled to remove the carjack that someone had used to lock the door. After a bit of cursing, twisting, and searching the guards that had died from gas inhalation, she found the key and shoved it into the lock angrily.

"Finally!" She exclaimed, pushing open the double doors and bursting out into the chill, winter air. The sudden rush of fresh, icy wind seemed to snatch the breath straight from her lungs. She gasped, reveling in the wide open space she hadn't experienced in months. Laughing and spinning around, she fell into a snow bank and giggled. Ignoring the water that her sweater absorbed, she dashed in circles happily, rejoicing in her freedom.

"Snow!" She yelled up towards the night sky, tilting her face upwards and laughing as snowflakes landed on her lashes and spiraled down into her open mouth. The sky looked as if it was falling towards her in an avalanche of stars and ice. "_Snow!"_

She had made it. She was outside. She was free.

* * *

"Hello, Brother." Thor entered the room in which Loki's holding cell was contained. The God of Thunder's face showed none of the exhaustion that he felt, but Loki knew.

"Thor," he said simply, leaning against the glass and looking away from the Asgardian. "I assume you're here to speak with me about our pasts?"

"Later. At the moment, I simply mean to ask you about the Lady Havilah."

A slight twitch was the only sign that Loki was listening. He continued to glare at the wall, as if blaming it for his predicament.

"Where is she?" Thor asked, stepping closer to the cage.

No answer.

"Why did you need her, Brother?"

Once again, he was greeted with silence. Thor sighed in frustration, closing his eyes briefly to calm himself.

"There is still time to turn things right." He whispered. "Both Father and Mother mourned for you deeply. We thought you dead, Brother."

"I am not your brother." Loki finally growled, turning to glare at Thor with his intense gaze. "Didn't Odin tell you? That I am Jotun? _Not_ Asgardian?"

"It matters not what you are. You are still my brother!"

"I was never your brother!"

"We grew together! I was there when you took your first steps! I was there when you were lonely-"

"I was always lonely, Thor." He hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "Oh, wonderful _Thor_! Oh, beautiful _Thor_! Oh, strong _Thor_! Who will be king? Why, _Thor_, of course! Who is better? _Thor_! Who isn't a monster? _Thor_! Who is truly happy? _Thor_! Thor, Thor, Thor, Thor, _Thor_! Always you, Thor!"_  
_

"Brother-"

"Nobody ever thought about me! Who's Loki? The weak one. Who's Loki? The smart one. The one who nobody needed. The one that was overlooked. The one who was hurt, but never showed it. Loki? Unimportant, unknown, weak, tiny, a Jotun, a freak, the onothers asked for nothing! I came to Midgard to be _somebody_!"

"I never knew..."

"Of course you didn't. You never cared. It was always you, Thor. Always you. You and your friends, you and your toys, you and your weapons, you and your _strength_."

"I'm sorry, Brother."

"No," Loki shook his head. "Not 'Brother'. My name is _Loki_. Call me that. Or, better yet, don't speak to me altogether!"

Thor stepped back in shock, hurt flickering across his features briefly before he turned and stalked out of the room, calling behind him one last time to say:

"Director Fury has initiated what he called a 'nation-wide' search."

With that, he slammed the door behind him, shaking the entire helecarrier.

* * *

Havilah's parents had never let her give her spare change to the homeless. Not even once. Sure, when she was walking on her own she'd usually pull out the spare change she had, hand it to them and smile, but her parents never did that. Their excuse was "we donate to shelters".

Turns out, most people were like that. Avi had finally made her way out of the warehouse district and into the downtown area. She asked a couple of people for a few Euros to use a payphone, but they just brushed her off like any ordinary distraction.

She entered a coffee shop and briefly traveling in the warmth.

"Excuse me, but do you have a phone here?" She asked the barista in German, rubbing her hands together rapidly to heat her frozen digits. "I'm afraid I don't have any euro, but I would really appreciate it."

_"Ja, ja_!" The barista nodded and pointed to a ancient phone, its coiled wires caked with dust. Avi made her way over to it and tentatively dialed her home number.

"_We're sorry, but the number you dialed is disconnected or no longer in service. Please try again_." The annoyingly calm, robotic voice rang out in German, and she fought the urge to slam down the reciever in defiance. Trying several times to reach her family, and failing each occasion, she finally gave up and thanked the barista.

_No money, no friends, no idea how to get home... It sounds like the pilot episode of a crappy television show, _she thought to herself as she left the café and walked over to a bookstore. It seemed to be family run, and from what she had learned, those were usually the establishments most likely to help you without being paid.

She pushed open the door and inhaled the familiar smell of old binding and freshly brewed tea.

"_Entschuldigen Sie mich, aber ich bin ein verlorener Amerikanischen studenten," _she tapped on the shoulder of an older man with frizzy white hair. "Excuse me, but I am a lost American student..."

"No need for German, _Liebling!" _he smiled at her and put down the book he had been flipping through: _Eine Deutsche Geschicht, _or, 'A German History'. "How can you be helped?"

"I'm afraid I have no money on me at the moment," she admitted. "And I tried to contact my family, but the number was disconnected. I was wondering if you could tell me where the nearest police station is?"

"Oh, in the downtown we have no station!" he said, his thick accent causing the words to be slightly clipped. "The police are not in this area. You can talk to Raina at the bakery. She will let you stay the night! Her husband is officer at station in the uptown. He can drive you there tomorrow, no?"

"Thank you!" Avi smiled brightly at him, shaking his hand warmly before leaving.

* * *

"Nothing?" Fury shook his head in disbelief. "He didn't respond?"

"No matter what we do or say, he just doesn't respond to the interrogation tactics we're using..." Natasha sighed as she polished her gun. She was itching to do something, but Fury had insisted that they stay low in the meantime while they tried to figure out what Loki had wanted in Stuttgart all those months ago. "I, personally think he's waiting for something."

"Or someone." Thor's deep voice rumbled, and everyone in the room turned to face him.

"You can't be serious about your earlier theory!" Coulson shook his head. "We still need to find her, anyway!"

"Hurry the search. I have a feeling that she's more important to this than we surmise..."

"Alright..."

* * *

**Reviews? No? Oh... Okay then... :'(**


	16. Chapter 16- Reunion

**When I first started this fanfic I tried to find out when the museum was attacked. I never found an actual month, so I just went with my instincts.**

**Turns out it was in May. This means it is currently August in the fic. AUGUST. Why did I find this _now. _GODDAMMIT.****  
**

* * *

"What do you mean, they aren't in any government records?" Avi spluttered, her hands gripping the table tightly as she watched the policewoman scroll through page after page of citizens. "I mean, I know they're American, but aren't they in your system? They _have _to be!"

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, no!" Avi felt a sob build up in her throat as she slumped forward. Everything that she had been hoping to find was gone. All her ideas had been reduced nothing. What was the point? Shouldn't she just turn herself in? Tell them what she had done? That she was technically a war criminal? That she had been in cahoots with a supervillian?

"Look, Ma'am, I'm afraid I can't access the documents you're looking for." the official shook her head sadly, spinning around to face the girl. "But if you really-"

At the sudden look of confusion on the authority's face, Havilah craned her neck to look behind her.

"Aw, shit..." she cussed, standing up so quickly that she knocked her chair over. "You have _got _to be kidding me!"

_Come on, God! I know I was thinking about turning myself in, but couldn't you at least given me time to think about it?_

"I'm sorry, sir, but this room is currently in use, so if you can kindly-" the policewoman's voice was slightly strained, but she was quickly cut off.

"I'm Director Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D." the man said, holding out his badge and ignoring the fear Havilah was showing. "I assume you're Havilah Sverrir?"

"I claim right to the first amendment."

"Very well, but you'll have to come with me."

_I have three options:_

_A) Go with him and risk... Stuff. I don't even know, man._

_B) Run. I doubt that would go very well, though._

_and C) Bullshit my way out of this... _

"Why?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly and glaring at him. "I'm not moving until you at least tell me _why._"

"You were captured by the war criminal Loki Laufeyson and only escaped recently. We would like to question you and return you to your home."

"My... my home?"

* * *

Havilah entered the helecarrier nervously, glancing around at the people that were bustling to and fro, issuing commands and following orders. Director Fury directed her into an elevator, and she shuffled awkwardly as they descended deeper into the ship.

"Where are we going?" she asked him quietly, chewing on her thumbnail.

"You'll see." Fury answered ambiguously, the flashing lights from the bar that indicated what level they were on bathing his face in a faint glow.

"Wow," Avi muttered sarcastically. "That sure helps me a lot."

The door opened swiftly and silently, a small blast of cool air lifting Havilah's bangs as she followed the director down a short, gridded metal catwalk that led to a large glass dome. A figure sat slouched in the enclosure, and they didn't even look up as they approached. When she drew close enough to make out the prisoner's features, Avi felt her chest compress into a tiny ball as the air rushed out of her lungs.

"You have a visitor, Loki." Fury said, leading Havilah forward and watching as she fell to her knees in shock.

Loki shifted his eyes slightly, but jerked his head upwards when he saw who it was.

"Havilah?" his face switched from one emotion to another rapidly: shock, confusion, happiness, and finally, anger.

Avi's throat constricted as she took in the ragged, tired figure of her former enemy.

"This is inhumane..." she whispered, closing her eyes tightly to block out the image. "Director... Why?"

"It was necessary." Fury told her, moving over to the set of monitors that controlled the cage's attributes. "For the safety of not only my crew, but also the entire world. I brought you here to talk with Loki, so I will leave you two alone."

He adjusted the cameras slightly, as Loki and Havilah glared at each other, unheeding of their surroundings. Exiting the space, Director Fury nodded in satisfaction.

* * *

"Why are you here, Havilah?" Loki asked, shaking his head in frustration. "I thought I told you to hide..."

"I didn't have a choice," she snapped, sitting with her back to the guardrail that surrounded the platform on which to dome was situated. She put her head in her hands and let a few choice words fly. "But as long as I'm trapped in here with you I might as well call you all the names I can think of: asshole, idiot, bastard, jizzhead, fucker, nard, son of a-"

"You're going to run out soon." he laughed drily and shifted his position so he could look Havilah in the eye when she eventually sat up.

"What else can I do?"

"Answer my question."

"Fine," she huffed, shooting a withering glance at him. "I did hide. For an entire day, I sat in that cupboard. After that, I left the building and walked the, what, seven miles? Is it seven miles to town?"

"I believe so."

"Okay, so, I walked seven miles to town in the freezing cold. Then, I tried to contact my parents, but it failed, so I went to the bookstore and asked-"

"How did they find you?"

"I went to the police station. That's where Director _Asshat _played the whole 'I'll bring you home' card, even though I'm starting to have my doubts about that..."

"You absolute dolt." Loki growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Didn't you even _think_ about the fact that the police force works for the government?"

"Uh... No?"

"You little _halfwit!" _

"Shut up!"

"No! I am not going to be quiet! I gave you _specific _directions, yet you still ignored them!"

"I don't have to listen to you!" she stood up and balled her fists at her sides like a small child attempting to make a point.

"No, you don't! But you _should!"_ Loki rose, as well, slamming his hand against the glass in anger. "You would be safe if you listened to me!"

"You ass!"

"It's too late now, Avi!"

A rumble tore its way through the helecarrier, and the whirring of the engines starting up echoed throughout it. With a large shake, the entire carrier lurched, causing Havilah to trip. They were in the air.

Fury had lied to her.

* * *

**I'm sorry it's so short! I've had a really long weekend and my brain just wasn't working...**

**When I posted that note at the bottom of the previous chapter, I really didn't expect the rush of reviews. It was actually a bit of a joke, so I was very shocked when I woke up to eleven reviews!**

**But they made me very happy and eager to release a new chapter. Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17- I'm Flying, Loki!

**I got my first negative review... Oh, well...**

* * *

"He said we wouldn't be moving!" Havilah grabbed the rail and pulled herself to her feet, surprised at how little the helecarrier moved in mid-air.

"Men of his caliber lie. And quite often." Loki shook his head, still miffed at Avi.

"Look who's talking."

"Listen to me right now, Havilah."

"What?" she put her hands on her hips defiantly and glowered at him. Their gazes met, and the intensity in his eyes made her squirm; she adjusted her posture to a less obstinate pose. "I mean..."

"I might be able to escape."

"What? I thought your tele-"

"Magic levels, Havilah. It's rather complicated."

"Of course it is." she muttered, rolling her eyes. "It always is with you."

"We have one choice." he said, ignoring her jibe.

"What is it? A flying carpet? Unicorns?"

"Asgard."

"I'm-"

"Think it over. I believe Director Fury requires your appearance." he turned away, refusing to speak any more.

* * *

"You lied to me!" Havilah burst into Fury's office, Agent Coulson apologizing to his superior profusely.

"I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't stop-"

"Why the fuck are we moving?" she screamed, cutting of Coulson and slamming her palms down on the desk and shoving aside numerous papers and writing implements. "Tell me! _Now!"_

"It was necessary." the Director said calmly, tapping a few keys and bringing up the footage of Thor and Loki's encounter. He had muted it, but he played the clip where Loki banged on the glass in anger. "Look how dangerous he is. You're very lucky to be alive."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you mislead me! Stop it with the whole 'for your safety' bullshit and tell me what's _really _going on here! I'm sick of all these excuses!"

"If you truly want to know, I'll arrange a few meetings." he picked up the phone, ignoring the outrage on Avi's face. "Agent Hill? Yes, please arrange a conference room. I'll want several separate hour long meetings with Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers, Mister Stark, Doctor Banner and Thor Odinson. Yes, five different meetings."

Placing the phone back in the cradle, he nodded at Coulson and returned to the little bit of work that Avi hadn't knocked to the floor.

* * *

Natasha could recognize a tiny bit of herself in the girl. She had walked in, perfectly on time, to see Havilah seated in a chair and waiting patiently. Natasha could see determination in her face, and she felt the urge to smile, but she kept it at bay.

"Miss Sverrir," she said, sitting down across from her and neatly folding her hands. "It's very understandable that you would be confused. I'm here to, well, 'shed a little light' on the situation..."

Avi was silent, her face flickering between doubt and reliance upon the woman.

"Loki is now a war criminal, as you probably understand. He's killed numerous people, and is a threat to society." the redhead cleared her throat. "That is one of the reasons we have him in the conditions you saw. A 'cage', or sorts, that is monitored twenty four-seven, and many precautions in case he somehow becomes a danger to our ship and crew."

"I know all of this..." Avi sighed, picking at a scab on her knee through the hole in her jeans. "I wanted new information, that's why I asked for these meetings."

"I realize this, and I will elaborate soon if you'll let me finish."

"Sorry."

"Anyways, Loki has an amazing amount of power, most of it magical. He does possess superhuman strength, but we don't need to worry about that with the-" she broke off and passed Avi a glass of water. "Never mind. Here. Loki's abilities are, for the most part, unknown to our team, and with all the time you've spent with him we were hoping you could build on our list of-"

"I thought you would give me information. Not the other way around."

Natasha smiled and shook her head. This girl was persistent, and she respected that.

"I see," she finally said, deciding to postpone her interrogation of sorts. "What I can tell you is that Loki has ulterior motives that have to do with you. We want to discover what, and why, he needs your for."

Havilah traced her finger over the surface of the table, deep in her thoughts. How could she have forgotten about it all? That she was merely a pawn in his game? There had never been any choice for her, and she realized that now. It was draw or die, follow blindly and pray that he would spare her if she did as he commanded. The way he had slowly softened towards her had caused her to forget the animosity between them, forget the lives he had taken, forget who he was.

She was just a simple girl, in a world of secrets and lies. There wasn't any choice for her now that she was in the custody of the government. Once again, she was being forced into the tiny box that inhibited her movements and freedom, turning her into a simple puppet for them all.

* * *

"This will be your room for the next few days," Agent Hill told her, gesturing to the small barrack. It was sparsely furnished, with a simple cot-like bed and a tiny door that led to an even tinier bathroom. "You'll have another meeting after you freshen up."

Avi nodded, putting the clean outfit S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided her with.

_A shower sounds nice... _she mused, entering the bathroom and dropping the shirt and pants near the sink and peeling off her filthy, sightly bloodstained clothes and turning on the tap. Hot water cascaded down her back, and she watched the dirt from the past few days swirl down the drain in a whirlpool.

Her situation was a bit like a whirlpool, if she thought about it. Squeezing a blob of shampoo into her palm and beginning to wash her hair, she contemplated the simile. A simple action had led to where she was now. Simply standing up and defying the god had slowly sucked her deeper into the churning waters of the underground world of global domination.

"Wow." she froze, in the middle of rinsing. "That was deep."

She finished a minute later and dried off as fast as she could, slipping into the new outfit and jogging down the hall to the conference room.

* * *

"That's crazy!" Agent Hill cried out as she looked between Coulson and Fury in shock. "I mean, no offense to you, Director Fury..."

"None taken, Agent Hill. I agree that the idea is extremely unorthodox, but Thor suggested it and seems to be confident that it will work."

"Releasing _him, _a cold-blooded killer, into everyday society and expecting the girl to handle him?" she shook her head wildly. "It's not possible."

"We'll equip him with a tracking device, preferably one that shocks him whenever he goes outside of the sector we will outline for him, and hither such precautions." Fury pressed his lips together tightly, the strain of the day catching up to him, but only slightly. "The apartment will be in New York, where we can keep an eye on them both."

The way he said it suggested finality, and Hill knew there would be no bargaining with him. He had decided, and they had to follow that decision, even if they disagreed.

* * *

**I wrote my last chapter around 1AM, so it was not only crappy, but plot was completely random and mixed-up. It took me forever to write this one, so I'm sorry. The idea I put in about living together goes to my friend "Fallon", who wouldn't stop bugging me about it...**

**Also, if you guys want a crappy parody of a smut scene from this fic written by Fallon and five other girls on sugar-highs at midnight, I'll PM it to you.**


	18. Chapter 18- A Room With Doom

The meetings were sprinkled throughout the next two days, but they seemed to go by in a blur. Nothing truly major stuck out from the rest of the conversations when she thought about it later, but the most intriguing bits were probably when Doctor Banner tried to explain serotonin and oxytocin to her:

_"I'm not a biologist, but I do know chemicals, so..."_

_"Science is one of my worst subjects, man..."_

When Captain America attempted to be polite, but only succeeded in causing Havilah to look at him like he was crazy:

_"We're headed to New York. Have you ever been there?"_

_"No."_

_"I think you'll enjoy it."_

_"Um, okay?"_

_"I grew up in Brooklyn, you know."_

_"Cool?"_

_"It's changed quite a bit since- I'm boring you aren't I?"_

_"Yeah."_

Thor being mostly silent, but randomly walking around the room and staring at her like a caged animal at the zoo:

_"Can you fight?"_

_"N- not really... I mean, I can sorta punch and stuff, but... No. No, I can't."_

_"Where did you grow up?"_

_"Catalina Island..."_

_"Hm..."_

_"What?"_

_"Nothing __of importance."_

And, finally, Stark telling her the best places in New York.

_"They have some great __restaurants, lemme tell you that."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Hard Rock Cafe, Lutece, The Rainbow Room, you know..."_

_"Sounds cool."_

_"I don't know if you could pass off as legal, but the strip club district is great there. Really classy. I recommend-"_

_"Do you hear that?"_

_"No."_

_"It's the sound of me wishing you would shut up."_

All in all, an interesting day, albeit extremely confusing, stressful and tiring. But the worst part was yet to come.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Avi attempted to laugh, but the lump of anxiety in her stomach and the look of pure seriousness on Director Fury's face stopped her laugh before it could even fully form. "Oh my God. You're not kidding..."

"I'm sorry, Havilah." he said gruffly, passing her a tissue box in a weak attempt to comfort her.

"I'm not crying. I don't need those." Avi snapped at him, her voice muffled my her hands. "Dammit! I thought I was in the home stretch! But, _no, _I have to live with him! Live with that... That... Asshole!"

"We promise that he won't hurt you."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then, there should be no problem, correct?"

This felt like she was back in middle school, stuck working on a group project with that kid who's guts she hated. There wasn't any dissuading her teacher, and she'd just have to suffer through it.

"Where?" she finally asked, shifting in her seat so she could look straight at the director without craning her neck. Maybe if she gave him the stinkeye long enough, he'd give up?

"Just in New York City. You'll have a monthly budget of one thousand five hundred dollars-"

"Excuse me? Did you say '_one thousand five hundred_'?" she felt her breath catch in her throat at the thought of all that money in one month.

"Yes. We'll rent you a penthouse apartment near Stark Towers. Two rooms, of course."

"Holy shit."

"Mm-hm." he nodded. "We'll have rules for you two, seeing as you'll be in government custody, but they'll be mostly basic ones. Loki will have a house arrest tracker that sends an electric shock if he journeys outside the decided area for you two."

"And... My parents?"

"You're technically a legal adult now, but if you want them to visit we will allow it."

"I'm in."

It is odd how simple decisions can alter one's destiny. The two words 'I'm in' were the ones that shaped Havilah's path, and herself, forever.

* * *

Dropping her bag near the entryway, Havilah spun in a slow circle as she attempted to take in the enormous space that was now hers. The living room was furnished with a plush white carpet and full-length windows that gave a view of the city. A flat-screen television, a pair of cushy sofas, and an elegant coffee table completed the look.

She was already breathless, and it was only the first room.

"Oh. My. God." she whispered, her eyes as wide as the giant clock that hung above the window seat. "This is amazing!"

Loki trailed in behind her, simply glancing around before tugging at the anklet he had been given. It was a new habit of his, to randomly hook his finger through the tiny gap between his leg and the closely linked metal hoops, each circled by a plethora of wires.

"Everything is brand-new!" Avi gasped, running into the kitchen. "Oh, I never thought I'd be so happy to see a toaster! A high-tech fridge! Cupboards! A coffeemaker!"

Loki said nothing, simply watching as Avi danced around in excitement, joyful exclamations issuing from her mouth every other second.

"Each room has a double bed!" she trilled, jumping up and down and gesturing wildly to the pair of bedrooms that lay side-by-side. "A _double _bed! That means legroom! And spaces for extra pillows! This is amazing!"

_Or extra people... _The god chuckled lightly as he took in the green, gold and cream color scheme of the apartment.

"Oh, the art museum is just down the street! We should go tomorrow!"

"We?" he raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden usage of the plural pronoun. "That's new."

"_I. _I meant 'I'. I doubt you're interested in art." Havilah crossed her arms and tossed her hair over her shoulder in an overly-dramatic show of disdain. Loki thought it was rather cute.

"Well, you assumed incorrectly. I enjoy art, unlike my 'brother'..."

"So... You want to go?"

_She's actually asking me? _Loki felt confused as he scanned her face for sign of maliciousness.

"It sounds enjoyable." he finally said, deciding on an indifferent manner.

"Well, then. We'll need to get up early and pack a lunch... Speaking of which, we have no food. Let's go shopping." she slipped her hair into a ponytail and grabbed their brand-new keys, a smile reminiscent of a child on Christmas Eve on her face as she thought of the shiny new credit card waiting in her wallet.

"Together?"

"What? Are you ashamed to be seen with a hideous girl like me?"

"What? No, no! That is not-"

"I'm kidding! Jeez!" she rolled her eyes as the ventured into the elevator. "Learn to take a joke, why don't you?"

This was going to be difficult, and both of them knew it.

* * *

**A second chapter on the same day to make up for my ****absence! I love you all!**


	19. Chapter 19- Give Him A Buzz

**Tell me things you want Loki and Havilah to do together (watch a certain movie, make cookies, go shopping, etc.) and I'll try my hardest to put it in!**

**(And, no, Fallon, I will not put 'hot, kinky, sexy sex' in. At least, not yet. SO STOP ASKING ME.)**

* * *

The beautiful stone pillars of The Met towered above Loki and Avi as they took in the grandeur of the building. It was huge and grey, with a set of stone steps on which people of all ages and ethnicities flocked, pointing at the architecture and flitting in and out of the doors. Enormous. And majestic.

"Christ almighty..." Havilah breathed, her breath a huge white cloud within the frigid New York air. "It's... So..."

Struggling to find the correct word, she opened and closed her mouth several times until deciding.

"Magnificent." she finally said, her eyes wide with wonder.

"I hope you realize that this is only the exterior..." Loki mumbled, his lack of winter attire drawing glances from the crowd. A few people seemed to recognize him, and whispered amongst each other. "The point of a museum is to go inside and look at the exhibits, not gawk at the doors."

"Oh, shut up and let me enjoy this."

They had left the penthouse about half an hour earlier, at ten o' clock. It seemed Havilah had failed to mention that the "art gallery" was actually the Metropolitan, one of the most famous art museums in America. Oddly enough, it was her, not Loki, who was completely awestruck by the architecture.

"May we enter now?" Loki asked impatiently, shooting a glare at an elderly woman who was inching her way over to them. "Mortals get old quickly, and at this rate you will be ancient by the time we buy our admission."

"Fine, fine!" Avi said, making her way up the snow-covered steps. She ignored both the railing and the warnings from other visitors, stepping carefully so as not to slip. They entered the building, the sudden warmth making Havilah remove her scarf and hat. "The ticket desk is over there."

"Your wallet is in your right coat pocket, along with your cellphone, a package of gum and three loose pennies."

"Thanks for the tip, Cam Jansen." she remarked snidely, referencing the young detective with a photographic memory as she pranced over to the desk. "Two adult tickets, please."

"That will be fifty dollars." a middle-aged woman sat behind the table, a pair of hideous fuchsia glasses perched precariously on the end of her nose. They clashed horribly with her yellow cardigan.

"Do you take credit cards?"

"Yes." the clerk handed the passes to Havilah, ringing up the cost swiftly before returning the card. "Have a nice visit."

"Thanks." Avi smiled and nodded before taking Loki's hand and gently leading him away before he could say anything.

"What?" the god questioned her, smiling inwardly at the feeling of her small warm hand in his.

"You were about to say something rude, weren't you?"

"No. I was contemplating telling her that she was dangerously overweight, to the point where her health is at stake, but-"

"See! _That's_ rude." Avi shook her head. "Now, when we get into the actual gallery you have to keep your voice down."

"I understand."

"Do you? Do you _really?_"

"Certainly."

"Good."

"Yes."

"Great."

"Very well."

"Right."

"Indeed."

"Let's go inside." she broke off the meaningless competition and entered the exhibit.

* * *

"That drawing is very poor. Why is it in this section?" Loki pointed to a picture of intersecting charcoal lines, his brow slightly furrowed with confusion as to why it was placed in such high esteem. "It's simply a group of boxes."

"No, it isn't." Avi shook her head in exasperation. "Look closer."

He complied, noting that there were wavy lines as well as straight, and that the signature stated Querido.

"I still don't understand." he sighed.

"Here." Havilah pointed to the top of the drawing. "The way the lines intersect makes a face in profile. It's a figure study."

"I prefer the self-portrait over there."

"Françoise Gilot. I've always liked her work. Great eye for shading." she smiled dreamily and made her way over to the piece. "The lines are simple, yet elegant..."

"You love art, don't you?" Loki followed and stood behind her, searching the painting for what Avi seemed to find so breathtaking.

"Yeah." she closed her eyes as if savoring the words she spoke next. "Just... Making something that can turn fantasy into reality, or keep someone young forever, it's all just so magical! There are paintings so realistic that they seem to be photos, or pictures so cleverly drawn that they can be two things at once, even statues carved so beautifully that the cloth almost seems to be soft! Isn't that amazing?"

"In its own way, yes." he moved on to the next piece as he mused, a painting of a city street with an enormous cathedral in view. "I spoke to you about that before, didn't I?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe."

"This is beautiful."

"Watercolor over graphite. I'm not a big fan because it warps the paper." she touched the glass case to show him the curving spires of the church. "But, isn't the way the buildings cast shadows wonderful?"

"No touching!" a security guard barked at her from across the room, a threatening growl in his voice.

"Oh! Sorry!" Avi pulled her hands back and flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, sir..."

"He shouldn't speak that way to a lady," Loki snarled, glowering at the burly, thick-set man who stood by the door of the gallery. "It's rude."

"It's fine. He's right, anyway. I shouldn't be touching the case."

"He should still be polite to you."

"Nah. It's-" she broke off suddenly as Loki began to stalk over to the guard, his eyes practically shooting daggers. "Where are you going?"

"I am simply-"

Avi searched through her jean pockets desperately, scrabbling to find the item Fury had given her for situations like these. Her hands found the sleek metal of the remote, and she pointed it at Loki at the last second, pressing the yellow button in the top left corner.

"Ow!" the god twitched and fell back a step. "What in the name of-"

"No." Havilah snapped her fingers, as if calling a dog. "Come over here _right now._"

All of the people in the room were watching them, their eyes flicking from Loki to Havilah as the conversation went on. The soft orchestral music was overtaken by the heated argument the ensued.

"What did you do?" Loki asked, rubbing his ankle to rid himself of the lingering sting of electricity. The sharp, tangy smell of heated metal filled the room, and he wrinkled his nose. "What did _I _do?"

"Controller." she tapped the item and stuffed it back into her pocket. "As long as you're wearing that, I can punish you. Seeing as I'm not even close to your level of strength, it's the only possible way for me to supervise your actions. Now, you better apologize to Mister..."

She glanced over to the confused guard's name tag, noting that he was reaching for his walkie-talkie.

"Mister Halloway. He didn't do anything, and you were about to hurt him. So, _go."_

"I ask humbly for your pardon, Mister Halloway..." Loki gritted his teeth as he asked forgiveness. He refused to look at the man's face, simply shooting a dirty look at the beige wall.

"Thanks." Avi patted his back before turning to Halloway. "Um, I'm really, really, _really, _sorry about all this. We'll leave now."

Ignoring the shocked looks of the crowd, she retreated, dragging Loki along with her.

* * *

"You know, I _was _gonna take us out to lunch or something, but after that I really don't think I should!" she stomped down the street, her hands shoved into her coat and her hair flying wildly in the bitter wind. "I can't believe you almost attacked a security guard! At the Met! The goddamn _Metropolitan _Museum of Art_!"_

Loki trudged along after her, resigned to his fate of continuous nagging for the remainder of the day.

"And we only made it to the traditional art section!" Avi snapped, shouldering her way through the throng of people. She was constantly pushed around by the droves of city-folk, but the menacing air Loki carried with him caused people to form a small bubble around him. A few woman standing outside a boutique giggled as they waited for a cab, smiling coyly at the dark haired man in a useless play for his attention.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" he finally caught up to Avi, and the look of frustration and sadness on her face twisted his heart like a great hand. Looking around briefly, he spotted a small coffee shop by the corner. "Look, we can stop there for a warm drink before heading home. You look as if you're freezing."

"Okay..." Avi sniffed and wiped at her eyes, and Loki realized she was on the verge of tears. He hadn't realized how much the day had meant to her, and the realization that he, once again, was the cause of her grief made him hate himself even more. "Okay..."

"Hold my hand. It's warmer than yours." Loki offered, taking her tiny gloved hand in his and guiding her across the street. He pushed open the door of the shop, and the scent of coffee and cinnamon floated out into the street. "Here."

Small tables covered in rings of warped wood from years of mugs being set upon them were tucked into corners, and a fire-pit stood in the middle of the room, the dancing flames bathing everything in heat and light. It was a small space, and very cozy, which made the arctic wind outside seem to fade away altogether.

In other words, it was perfect.

* * *

**Normally I'd keep going, but last night I had a sleep study, so I didn't gut much sleep. Plus, this chapter isn't so short I need to continue. I love you all!**


End file.
